2009 has been a tough year for Bloggers to make money compared to 2008 but there have been opportunities and ad networks have matured to become better accepted by marketers. Gone are the large amounts of money for private ad sales in favor of link exchange agreements and PPC amounts have tumbled.
Here is how some of my sites have fared over the past year for monetization.
Sponsored Reviews
Sponsored reviews have fared well in 2009 with advertisers keen to show their products in a natural way to consumers and search engines. They are often criticized for degrading the quality of a blogs content but I've found a sponsored review mixed in between a number of good quality posts to perform well. Strict new rules for Bloggers in the US may mean some good opportunities for non-US blogs in 2010.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
It's been a rough year for Pay Per Click marketing, the amount made per click in 2009 has plummeted on a number of my sites, hopefully 2010 will see the PPC market performing much better.
Google Adsense - Has been a reliable income throughout the year though relies heavily on people clicking high value ads. Adsense performed well on my iPodHistory site before I sold it however has failed to do well on 12stix or ImAFish.
Clicksor - Has replaced Adsense on a couple of sites where they are not suitable for Adsense or have been banned. The amount per click is fairly poor even compared to Adsense.
Monthly Ads
Monthly ads are where you are paid a set amount per month for an advert though these often base prices on Google Page Rank and Alexa ranking. There are a number of key players:
TNX - Has been a consistent payer throughout the year but relies on paying a small amount for a lot of adverts.
LinkLift - Recently out of beta, LinkLift is one of the newer players but has shown good growth throughout the year.
Linkworth - Advertising revenue has dried up significantly from Linkworth over the past year.
Text-Link-Ads - TLA has paid consistently low amounts all year.
Teliad - Has paid consistently for higher Page Ranked pages.
Private Ad Sales
This time last year there was a lot of money for private ad sales however this has declined significantly. Companies are now turning to link exchange programs rather than paying directly for ads. Even the better paying gambling sites have been cutting back on their advertising budget.
Conclusion
Hopefully we are over the worst in 2009 with the slump in the advertising market. There are plenty of opportunities out there for Blog monetization but Bloggers need to work that extra bit harder to attract the advertisers.
Taking care of your oral health is essential to good overall well-being – after all, a bright and healthy smile will make you feel more confident and comfortable in everything that you do. Having a good dentist that you feel happy about seeing regularly is a key part of that, but choosing a practice to sign up to isn’t always straightforward.
If you’re not sure about what to consider when looking for a dentist, read on for some useful tips to help guide you.
1. Location and schedule
A key part of having a dentist is being able to schedule appointments easily. You don’t want to choose a practice that involves a lengthy commute, or one that has awkward hours that do not fit with your own work or life timings, especially in cases where you have a sudden dental emergency, and need to see someone as a matter of urgency.
Start your search with those that are in a comfortable distance from you – this may mean somewhere you can walk, drive or get public transport to easily. Make sure you review their working hours and any particular policies they have about booking appointments, to ensure they suit your needs.
2. Friendliness and approachability
A good practice will be happy to advise their patients on what to do to take care of their teeth, and explain any procedures or issues calmly and clearly. While you can stock up on Kent Express dental supplies to make sure that you have everything you need, having some professional advice on what to get is always going to be helpful.
You can often judge from the reception desk to see how communicative and welcoming the practice is. If you have particular dental concerns, it’s always a good idea to chat to the practicing dentist before joining.
3. What kind of dentist are they?
Different dentists may specialise in particular areas of oral health, including orthodontists, specialist surgeons, cosmetic dentists and general dentists.
If you’re looking for general oral health care, then a general dentist will serve you well. However, if you have specific concerns, such as wanting to achieve a specific look, or help with a particular condition, it’s worth choosing a more specialised practice for your treatment.
4. Check their accreditations
Dental practices must be registered with the General Dental Council in the UK in order to practice. This includes dentists and other therapeutic staff, including dental nurses, hygienists and anyone else you might see.
They will normally have their certificates displayed clearly in the main reception area, and you can also check online. If you’re not sure, then steer clear.
5. Personal recommendations
Recommendations from trusted family or friends are always helpful, as you know that they will have had a good experience with someone.
However, remember that everyone has a unique dental health experience, and what works for someone else may not necessarily be the best option for you. It’s always worth reviewing closely before making a final decision.
Here are a selection of my best photos from Dubai.
We stayed in Atlantis located on the Palm Jumeirah.
The hotel features a massive indoor aquarium.
Rays swimming around the aquarium.
The aquarium contains thousands of fish.
Some of the more exotic sea animals.
Om nom nom nom.
A dolphin at the hotel - rescued from hurricane Katrina.
The Zigerat - part of the water park at Atlantis.
Parts of the water rides at the hotel - note how some of the rides take you up the Zigerat and others back down again.
The hotel lobby.
Atlantis in the day.
The Burj Al Arab from the beach at Atlantis.
A view from the beach at night with the monorail.
The view of the palm from our hotel room. The tall buildings in the distance are the Dubai Marina.
The Dubai Marina from our hotel.
A view over the palm at sunset.
The Dubai Marina at night.
Boats in the Dubai Marina.
The Burj Khalifa - the worlds tallest building (so tall I couldn't get it all in one shot).
The fountains outside the Burj Khalifa.
The lake around the Burj Khalifa.
Worlds biggest indoor ski centre at the mall of the emirates.
The Burj Al Arab.
Have you ever heard a song whilst you were out and wondered what that it was? Well the free Shazam app will listen to the song then let you know what it is.
When you open the Shazam app it lists your previously discovered songs.
Hitting Tag Now will start the detection process.
The app listens to a few seconds of the song.
Then sends it off to its server to see if its on record.
If it is then a few seconds later it tells you the song and gives you the option to buy it.
The song has to be playing at a reasonable volume with little other background noise for it to work. I tried it in a pub on Friday and it was unable to detect the song but while sitting in front of the TV or listening to the radio it worked fine.
Had a really good day at Drupal Camp North West in Manchester yesterday. Lots of very good Drupal 8 talks and a lot to discuss back in the office tomorrow.
