Do you believe Forum users should generate a profit from selling their signature? Would you (if a forum owner) allow it to happen unless it got out of hand where the users signature is a big red flashing banner? I strongly believe this would help s forum become more active as users would possibly leave other forums only because they can't generate one single penny from posting there. Could this potentially help produce more posts inside a forum? Let me know your thoughts it would be greatly appreciated!
I wouldn't allow images in signature (like DP has), but I have no problem with people selling their signatures. Hell, I buy a lot of them and they are great traffic drivers. I post more on DP (quality posts) because I know my link is in front of more people, so yes, I can increase posts (but I'm sure people feel the opposite).
Interesting to know! So would you agree that if done right this could be beneficial for the forum as well as the user?
Oh, yeah! Just visit the general section. Some funny and useless threads and posts there. But it doesn't heart anybody and it's really funny sometimes. BTW, the 3 green links in my sig are offered free The blue one is mine
I've thought about this too, but you're really going to cry spam when you hear one of my development projects. It's a modified model of PPC for forum signatures. Before you say anything, it is highly controlled, and doesn't just benefit the link publisher. I've always thought that signatures are a great way to drive traffic, and it would be pretty cool to be able to have a link on multiple signatures without having to post more (it is hard to make quality posts all the time!). I thought of PPC, and initially dismissed it because it was too much of a spam threat... Then I thought about it, and realised it doesn't have to be that way. First you get a network of forums to agree and signup to using the PPC model, and only allow paid clicks to come through those forums. That stops spamming on any non-network forums. Now you have a group of forums who have agreed to let their users add paid sig tracking links. Next, you run each click through a plugin on the forum - that makes sure the forum owner gets commission on every click, so now they and the publisher are happy. It doesn't just have to be PPC either, it could just as easily apply to sales for a specified time period etc. Finally, because we are dealing with signatures, it is easier to stop the spam. For instance, the test plugin I created for vBulletin has a limiter, and instead of stopping posts being made if the "spammer" makes too many posts in a certain time period, it just removes the signature. The user will soon learn there is no point spamming, and be forced to start posting sensibly to get clicks. You can manipulate anything within the signature easily, so again, a user cannot pile links into their signature, and you can stop the signature appearing (or even leave a link to the forum sig rules in its place) if a specified condition isn't met. Then I decided that still wasn't enough. I wanted to get advertisers quality clicks. So, instead of just clicking to the site, it shows a landing page first. If the user is interested (and the landing pages good), then they will click through. If they aren't really interested, they won't. This also has the advantage of stopping automated spam, if you chose to add some kind of simple "human test". Has its drawbacks of course, would the users turn away before clicking through? Maybe, maybe not, but there is no harm in giving the advertiser the option to show a landing page when clicking. This is just my early concept. Nothing out there, since I'm working on something else first, but I think forum signatures have a lot to offer, IF they can be properly controlled. I have my own webmaster forum / idea collaboration network I'm working on, and it will be one of the few forms of advertising I allow, along possibly with nicely integrated adsense.
It would be very difficult to police. Even if the forum admin prohibited the sale, there are always other places that people can buy/sell/exchange them, right?
OIOplus I like your idea and I'm on the exact path. Even tho as of right now I only allow a simple auction of the signature. I think your idea ppc is the best case scenario. This would allow for professional sales to be done via a forums signature. My only worry with this idea is that your average joe blow won't be able to afford this constant cost of the pay per click and would much prefer an auction! This would allow them to maintain budget and still get exposure. So many Ideals and a brilliant market. I can't wait till people want to buy some of my domain names! At first yes, but once users see how strict Forum owners and bid auction owners are the real webmaster won't abuse the privilege. In the end that's who were after. We can easily stop the user from having Signatures in the forums and just as easily ban them from the auction/PPC program. Span in any shape or form isn't tolerated this would be no exception.
I agree with some of the others. There is no problem with selling your signature just don't make it some big image..some colorful text links never hurt though!
I think Text Links should be standard unless specified otherwise by the forum that images are acceptable. Text links or no links
I recken selling links is a great idea. Once my forums increase in traffic i'll probably even recommend it to some of my users.
That is right,selling signatures is real fun.But i like learn knowledge from here and do link exchange with everybody here.
It helps community to build but as long as members on my forum do not post junk/spam to increase post count to sell links, I'd allow it.
Selling sig means a forum is good enough...People go to big forums and post a lot. If they post, your forum gets bigger and you get more money from ads or selling banner spots or so. I definitely would allow selling sigs
selling signature might be the next big buzz who knows? but i think if one can treat it good it surely will be a great niche.
I noticed a couple of sites like sigtrader.com and sigsense.com that don't really have seen to taken off. I didn't look into it any further, but sigsense was brought into being back in 2005. I might look at moving my own development along now that a few people have suggested it might be ok to do if it doesn't de-generate into spam posting, which is always the big worry. What is the general consensus - a mixture of auction and PPC options, coupled with a set of spam prevention rules, and forum owner commissions?