18 replies to this topic

[STIGG]

Look at this absolute trash. When you first load the site, over 80% of the screen is taken up by adverts. Just give up and shut it down.

 

[Imperial]

I pay for my access to Autosport and get no adverts. Why should you get a nice clean website, if you aren't paying?

[Risil]

Fwiw Motorsport.com is the same (once you disable Adblocker, at any rate)

[Ross Stonefeld]

How do you get rid of the reviews for the products that are sponsoring the site?

[pRy]

What I find a little frustrating is the rock bottom quality of the ads themselves. Take that one in the top right screenshot for example. On mine it's a photo of some weather presenter in a tight fitting dress. I guess it gets clicks? But does it really fit a brand like Autosport/Motorsport.com ?

[STIGG]

I pay for my access to Autosport and get no adverts. Why should you get a nice clean website, if you aren't paying?

 

I too paid for access for a long time until I decided it was no longer a good value proposition. I'm not saying that I want an ad-free experience. In fact, I'm all for ad-supported content but it's the implementation that I think is terrible. If a non-paying user doesn't deserve a nice clean website, should they really get one that looks like a dog's dinner?

 

I'd love to know the bounce rate for new users coming to the site. I think the current implementation is so overwhelming and off putting. Countless times I've opened up autosport.com only to be bombarded with ads and think, "forget it, I'll don't want to deal with this crap", and then go elsewhere.

[STIGG]

What I find a little frustrating is the rock bottom quality of the ads themselves. Take that one in the top right screenshot for example. On mine it's a photo of some weather presenter in a tight fitting dress. I guess it gets clicks? But does it really fit a brand like Autosport/Motorsport.com ?

 

Yes, the quality is terrible a lot of the time.

[STIGG]

LOL, just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I get this:

 

 

Basically everything "above the fold" is advertising. I'd love to see a first time user's reaction 

[Imperial]

I too paid for access for a long time until I decided it was no longer a good value proposition. I'm not saying that I want an ad-free experience. In fact, I'm all for ad-supported content but it's the implementation that I think is terrible. If a non-paying user doesn't deserve a nice clean website, should they really get one that looks like a dog's dinner?

I'd love to know the bounce rate for new users coming to the site. I think the current implementation is so overwhelming and off putting. Countless times I've opened up autosport.com only to be bombarded with ads and think, "forget it, I'll don't want to deal with this crap", and then go elsewhere.

Fair play, and I agree it looks bad, but it's probably par for the course for a struggling journal.

All the local news websites I read daily (for free!) are the same and it takes an age before you can get to read what you are there for. But I can't really complain when I'm getting it all for free.

I do also want to say something regarding the quality of the adverts, and that is to say they too are a reflection of Autosport being in a continual struggle for survival. Nobody reads it, ergo they attract low value advertisers.

This is what happens when people don't want to pay for stuff though!!

Edited by Imperial, 21 December 2020 - 19:28.

[Anders Torp]

I pay for my access to Autosport and get no adverts. Why should you get a nice clean website, if you aren't paying?

You still get the cheesy ads masquerading as real content though.

[Vitesse2]

Can I just point out that - like 'suggestions' on shopping sites - the adverts you get served may actually be based on the browsing history on your computer? You may not have actually clicked on a bookmaker's advert, but it may have been present on another site you visited, or they may even be an affiliate of that site. So it parks a cookie in your history. Bet365 - and many other bookies - have affiliate links with all sorts of sports and news sites. In which case the algorithm says to itself 'show a bookmaker's ad to this visitor'.

[STIGG]

Can I just point out that - like 'suggestions' on shopping sites - the adverts you get served may actually be based on the browsing history on your computer? You may not have actually clicked on a bookmaker's advert, but it may have been present on another site you visited, or they may even be an affiliate of that site. So it parks a cookie in your history. Bet365 - and many other bookies - have affiliate links with all sorts of sports and news sites. In which case the algorithm says to itself 'show a bookmaker's ad to this visitor'.

 

The reason I always browse in Incognito mode! Never open Amazon in a normal browser session - they are the worst for remarketing 

 

But you may have a point when it comes to the trashy ads. The ad engine could effectively be saying, "we don't have any data on this user so he's a low quality lead, serve him the bottom of the barrel stuff because we can't use targeted content".

 

Now, I'm wondering if I should indeed look closer and see why that wedding pic shouldn't have been taken.    It's literally underneath the text box now as I type: 

 

 

*At least these ones on the forum can be dismissed.

 

Edit: **until you click onto another page...

Edited by STIGG, 22 December 2020 - 23:24.

[Imperial]

You still get the cheesy ads masquerading as real content though.

 

Quite true, and again because Autosport is struggling to make ends meet, because not enough people want to pay for what they are happy to read.

[PlatenGlass]

Try the Brave browser.

[razno]

What ads? uBlock Origin ;)

[pdac]

No one here heard of ad blockers?

[jcbc3]

https://www.autospor...5634515/?nrt=54

 

In Denmark this would be illegal. An advertisement feature must by law be labelled as such. Or did I miss where it stated so?

[pitlanepalpatine]

https://www.autospor...5634515/?nrt=54

 

In Denmark this would be illegal. An advertisement feature must by law be labelled as such. Or did I miss where it stated so?

 

Its the same in many places...love that they labelled blatant advertising as news. Next they'll have a pyramid structured investment opportunity 

[Myrvold]

https://www.autospor...5634515/?nrt=54

 

In Denmark this would be illegal. An advertisement feature must by law be labelled as such. Or did I miss where it stated so?

 

At least it's not a Plus article.

 

I still remember when I had a A+ subscription and an "A+" article was an ad! Hnnngh!