New Method to make money Image Hosting - Take a look

Here is my idea and my testing platform. I think it is a very good idea, but who am I, right? I want your input.

I'm currently running an image hosting site in which does something new.

Users are notified that I will host their pictures for free under one condition.

I get to advertise through the use of their image 1 to 3% of the time.

I'm currently doing this manually through changing out their image with a different image for so many minutes per day.

The image I swap in place of theirs is exactly the same size and uses the same url.

I run very easy to accept ads when doing so as not to offend my clients.

The results are very interesting actually. Now I can put products in front of a lot of people very easily or promote other sites or what ever I want.

DP members, I need your input and questions. I think it is a new idea and together we can develop something.

Twas

PS This is not spam guys, users of this service are aware of my intentions.

 

How many users host their images on your server? And did you own any money from that? Or how many backlinks you got from this idea?

 

Well, seeing as there are tons of completely free image hosts out there that don't don't switch people's images with their ads, I don't see why anyone would use your service.

Buy thats just me.

 

This is gonna be tough to implement since there's other "easier" paid image host systems out there. Check out imagecash, they pay per impression I believe (I haven't checked them out in a while).

You're on the right track though--monetizing user traffic and actions.

 

Could be worth a shot. What do you have to loose? Not much. Just look at google. All they did was change the way webpages are ranked when you search.

 

So what do you do when you have thousands of images uploaded? switch each one: one by one??

 

Just a question:
Why don't you use an animated .gif ad in your site ?

When the 1/100th user views your image, you can send her a 2-frame animated gif:

- The first frame has the publicity and a small text telling the user this frame will vanish in 15 sec (for instance).
- The second frame has the image only.

This is great for CPM campaigns.

 

Hmm... I think I get your idea and I think that it's a good Idea. I can see how you can pull this off.

 

Probably use a fairly easy PHP script.

 

This probably would have made you millions 10 years ago.

 

I think it's quite a good idea that should work, even now. As long as you keep the percentage swap fairly low people won't feel much difference between your site and those that don't run this scheme.

And it shouldn't be too hard to automate.

 

Are you telling people that sign up that this is what you're doing?

 

Also this idea might be good but it will get to a point where your users will get mad and leave your hosting and go somewhere else. What happens when i upload an image, get the linking code and post it in a forum for a topic that i was talking about. Next thing i know it's replaced with a ringtone ad image. Then the people that see the thread will wonder why in the heck i posted advertisment for some ringtone site. This will get users banned because no one is going to know that this is an image hosting site that is replacing the images with ads. This could get a lot of users on any sites that they post pictures banned for spam.

 

Answers to your questions and comments:

Question from hhheng
How many users host their images on your server? And did you own any money from that? Or how many backlinks you got from this idea?

Answer:
Right now the tests are very focused to the users. Based upon the type of image they got (theme) determines my ads that I place. In some cases I'm running tests on a lot of images because the theme is more popular and other tests are considerably smaller. I'm currently determining the relation of an image request over a time frame.

Example 7PM to 8PM image abc.gif is requested from my server 200 times. In other words there have been 200 page impressions with that graphic somewhere in the world. Now I base the requests for that image on how many people click on the actual image instead of just look at it.

There are large variations in click through rates based upon the theme I'm focusing on and the ad I'm displaying. Currently I'm not selling things because I have not determined all the legal sides involved in this and I need to do more research.

Yes, I get backlinks and in some cases really good ones actually both in an image and text form.

Do I make money on this site? Well, lets just say that I'm doing this test because I would like to determine a way to make money hosting images. In the past I have made very little and I'm pretty burned out on G's ads for sure.



Remark from: CaitSith4343
Well, seeing as there are tons of completely free image hosts out there that don't don't switch people's images with their ads, I don't see why anyone would use your service.

Reply
You know I thought that also a few years back when I started playing around with this idea of hosting images.
Here is what I have found.
1. Many sites require some form of membership. I don't in this test.
2. Many sites limit bandwidth or image views, I don't. I want you to have 10,000,000 views a day if your site has the traffic.
(granted it would kill my server, but a melt down of that factor would be great)
3. Many don't allow you to give optional link credit to another location or place, I do.
4. Some put watermarks, I don't.
5. I don't require a login.
6. Thinking about offering a free API for people who wish add an interface to their own site.
7. My server is fast because hopefully I will be able to pay for it with this idea, where as many image hosting sites are very slow.
8. Considering some form of profit sharing but that is more of dream than something that I might implement.

Off topic a little but I hoped that answered your question why I thought people might like to use my service. Remember this is still testing and if it was the magic answer I wouldn't be here telling you all about it, would I?


Remark from: webmasterlabor.com
This is gonna be tough to implement since there's other "easier" paid image host systems out there. Check out imagecash, they pay per impression I believe (I haven't checked them out in a while).

You're on the right track though--monetizing user traffic and actions.

Reply:
Thank you very much for your input on that. I'm not aware of them and I will look into that later today. Sounds a little similar.


Remark from killer2021
Could be worth a shot. What do you have to loose? Not much. Just look at google. All they did was change the way web pages are ranked when you search.

Reply:
You know that is how I look at it. I mean honestly where do you go anymore that there is not advertising? We are almost all saturated by it everyday just violence and sex on TV, News, Radio, Magazines, Airports, Taxis, Buses...You know I wouldn't be surprised if some people even have dreams with ads in them. An old idea used with a new twist, barely.


Question: netpox
So what do you do when you have thousands of images uploaded? switch each one: one by one??

Answer
Now I might be a little niave and a little slow for sure and in some cases just stupid probably, but with a little thought I figured out some methods of automation. My ads don't have to be Hollywood quality for the testing phase. If your looking for a way to do this and don't have much experience with image manipulation, then a simple way would be to use photoshop. It has a type macro action that if programmed correctly can do what I'm doing, though I don't use that app to do this. I run a script on my server and it does it all for me. The script is very basic actually and is not a point and click GUI. I shouldn't say it does eveything, but it saves me hours of work compared to doing it all by hand.


Question: eb0la_reston
Why don't you use an animated .gif ad in your site ?

When the 1/100th user views your image, you can send her a 2-frame animated gif:

- The first frame has the publicity and a small text telling the user this frame will vanish in 15 sec (for instance).
- The second frame has the image only.

This is great for CPM campaigns.

Answer
Now we are talking. Currently I'm testing things similar to this but just have not got enough data back to see what types of ads work the best.
Example situation: A purple flower used on a page with a poem.
What should I do to maximize my effectiveness? As you can tell there are many answers to that question and the same goes with this whole test.
I don't have all the answers and I probably never will. In a way it is like building your own Adwords campaign. I keep finding out that there is more that I don't know than I actually do know. But that is what research and your input is all about.


Remark: drionix
Hmm... I think I get your idea and I think that it's a good Idea. I can see how you can pull this off.

Reply:
Thank you for the vote of confidence, it is well appreciated. Now I hope I'm not just wasting my time and everyone elses. I would feel like a total heel if you know what I mean.


Remark: KEVIN MCDOUGAL
This probably would have made you millions 10 years ago.

How does that saying go, hind sight is always 20-20. That's the story of my life. Thanks though!


Remark: Lucky Number:
I think it's quite a good idea that should work, even now. As long as you keep the percentage swap fairly low people won't feel much difference between your site and those that don't run this scheme.

And it shouldn't be too hard to automate.

Reply:
My feelings exactly, thanks. The automation part is two fold. One part is really easy actually but as your research starts falling into place you realize that it's like developing a new language or something. There are so many variables in which make this effective. Small mistakes can totally destroy it if not get you severely sued or something.


Question: Netpox
Are you telling people that sign up that this is what you're doing?

Answer:
Yes, in fact they have to agree to the terms first and I'm not leaving them in the dark about it. It is kind of a promotion thing in fact. You are going to get the fastest free image hosting with virtually no limits by using our service and it's your pictures that make us be able to afford to provide this quality service.

Your other post you asked about dangers of placing ads in place of the picture on a forum or ebay or something.

Ya, that would be a real bad deal. Get someone banned from their account. Boy, could there be repercussions for that situation.

Truthfully, that scares the death out me but I have put into place some protection though I'm not sure it's good enough.
Users have to choose from a form what type of site they are going to use the picture on.
Again, I don't know if this is adequate or not....


Thanks for everyones input so far... It is an interesting topic for me and I hope for you as well.

Twas

 

I really like the idea, from your standpoint. As a user I'd probably just go to imageshack though. But I do like how you're thinking outside the box

 

I like the idea... and you could pull it off by providing a rev-share. The more popular their image, the more ads that are randomly included, the more money they make (and, of course, the more money you make).

Win win win win win.

 

hey I got a site....imgplode.com
thats a great idea

 

waa..it is a nice idea.. but there is a lot of free images hosting out there..