AdSense: How do Customer's REALLY feel about it?

[MsNadi]

In receiving proposals to develop and design a website for our business, we've received a handful of recommendations opting to utilize AdSense as our Phase 1 advertising approach, until revenues and site visits substantiate the need for a CPC (Cost Per Click) or CPM (Cost Per Mille) self-service portal.

I'm not an online advertising guru - so I started from scratch by first figuring out what exactly AdSense is. once that was done, I did by my bit of research on the various ways AdSense is used on websites varying in content and offering.

Ok.

Questions: How do those of you who do or do not use Google AdSense, think your customers view the advertising program? It is generic in that it has the same appearance and connotation across all websites (sure you can change the colors and play lightly with the format, but it is essentially the same) and in many ways is reminiscent of the threaded advertisements that we saw in the early days of the internet (think Lycos web page advertising).

How many of you have had success with AdSense? What were you average monthly revenues (you don't have to get specific) but how about a ball park range? And do you believe that AdSense helps or hurts your internet image - and your brand?

[xjfiremedic]

How commercial has your business been up until this point? The reason I ask is this: for some sites that have been for a long time, namely commercial free, meaning no advertising and just good useful content, it can't cause a back lash from your long time community members when you commercialize it. They can feel somewhat offended by the ads.

Just something I have noticed in the past. If they are fundamentally loyal to you though they may recognize the need for ads and actually click on them. Benefiting you!

[adamg]

everyone knows that money needs to be made to support a business so I dont think they are bothered

[MsNadi]

Please. Folks are starting to complain to MySpace parent about the ads that are showing up on MySpace pages - as well as the artificial MySpace pages created to generate buzz for movie/television show characters.

Everyone knows that money needs to be made to support a business, but people don't necessarily want to be a MEANS to that end.

Hence why I asked the question. I'm interested to know how consumers view Google Adsense ads on some pages.

[noname]

Using Adsense will not hurt a website or a brand unless you are actually selling something, then adsense us a no-no. As long as the ads aren't in ur face and the service is free then they have no grounds for complaint.

Are you actually selling stuff on this website?

[safronelectronics]

adsense will be more effective if it is made to become part of the website, try and integrate it into a column on your website and then in your colour theme. Google ads are on almost every website so i personally dont see the problem

[MsNadi]

Thanks for the tidbit.

[ianternet]

the goal of adsense is basically tryin to give the proper information to your viewers - you need good keywords on your site to get the high payin ads...if someone is looking for more information its more likely that someone will click a google adsense or if some one is buying

[Bestmiler]

how many adsense ads can one have on their site?
what are some alternatives to adsense? (adbrite,...)