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View Full Version : Is it wrong to ask for donations?



bacterozoid
10-07-2009, 08:57 AM
For those that don't know, I have a web design/development business on the side. Since I've just recently started it's very difficult to get clients. This means that any time or money I spend doesn't make me any money (yet). I expected this and realize I'll have to make some investment before it begins to pay off.

In order to help bring in business, I've created a website similar to TEXT-IMAGE.com (http://text-image.com/). Text-image gets listed on Digg once in a while and is quite fun to hop on and mess around with. I think I could bring in a decent amount of traffic like this.

My version, of course, is better (or so I hope). I'll share it here soon, but I'm not ready just yet. Is it wrong to put a Paypal donation button on the website? I feel like that might have the opposite effect than what I want, but I'd like to recoup some of the costs if possible. Or maybe I just have to write this off as advertising and hope that the site itself brings in the business?

I'm leaning towards not having the button, but I really have no experience to back that up. What do you guys think?

Edit: I guess I could have put this in the Advertising forum.

Patrysha
10-07-2009, 09:30 AM
The only experience I have with PayPal donate buttons is on WP plug ins and I personally find that totally acceptable and have used them and on occasion noted that I have to go back and donate when I have extra funds.

vangogh
10-07-2009, 11:21 AM
There's nothing wrong with it, but don't expect people to donate much if anything. Some people will donate, but the vast majority never do. WordPress plugin developers have been trying that model for years. Some who make great plugins that have been downloaded thousands of times have made at most $100 over the years.

You're better off thinking of something you can sell through the site or thinking of a service the site might attract. AdSense will probably outperform donations.

You can think of it as advertising if you want as long as you come up with a way to direct visitors to the site to one of your money making business.

Paper Shredder Clay
10-07-2009, 12:28 PM
I agree with vangogh.

Even the best charities are receiving less with the way the economy, much less a web site of some person I don't know.

I think you will do better with ads, just don't bombard the people and don't expect too much. Sad to say.

KristineS
10-07-2009, 01:51 PM
I don't see anything wrong with a donation button, if it's a site you've created for people to use and have fun with. I would never advocate putting a donation button on a business site. That sends entirely the wrong message.

I would have to echo the others who say you probably won't make much though. I can sympathize with you wanting to recoup some of the money you've spent, however, and this is one way to do it.

bacterozoid
10-07-2009, 09:17 PM
Alright, thanks folks. I'll avoid the button and just count on the extra traffic to bring in some business rather than relying on an unreliable button to bring in some extra cash.

I sure hope this pays off in the end!

vangogh
10-07-2009, 10:43 PM
I think with what you're planning you could slap some AdSense or affiliate banners and links on the page and maybe make a little. More than you'd likely make with the donation button. Don't think there isn't a way to make money with the site. There's likely a way to make something.

Harold Mansfield
10-09-2009, 01:32 PM
Alright, thanks folks. I'll avoid the button and just count on the extra traffic to bring in some business rather than relying on an unreliable button to bring in some extra cash.

I sure hope this pays off in the end!

If you continue to work it, promote it, and always strive to make it better, anything has a shot at success, but it won't do it on it's own.

If you have traffic, you can make money on just about every site. As long as the demographic is not kids or free downloads, some kind of ads or affiliate banner, or even a PPA thing could work.
If the main goal is to attract business, I would probably spend more time promoting my business online than worrying about side money from the site itself.

If you have more than one site, I would make up some banners for my other sites and advertise them there.