affiliates banners/links-- what do you think?

[sothis]

so im having a hard time deciding what to do about cross linking with sites, banners, etc.

i'm not talking about advertising banners.. the server has been paid for for a year thanks to your generosity, and once it runs out and i mention that the server money is low, i know you guys will chip in (already have had a few people tell me to just say the word)... so this isnt about getting anything paid for, etc.

the main reason for cross linking/bannering/whatever, would be to get increased traffic to the site. up to this point, i have only linked with AniDB.. becaus ethey provide something my database doesnt (episode titles, detailed info, etc). i have linked to NO ONE else, because i want to be selective, and don't want to end up like tons of anime sites out there, which have a big list of banners on the front page.

so what do you guys think about affiliates? where would i list them? should i be selective, and just choose things this site doesnt have? or sell out and do any i can get my hands on, cause it would be more hits?

i will be linking to a few non anime sites in the future, like Plastik Wrap clothing.. its cyber style, i love them, and they will be linking to me as well so it will bring in a different audience. but as far as anime sites, yea.. so far i have done nothing.

my ideas would be:

1. an area in the forum, like anime kingdom does, with one thread for each affiliate

2. a section in the "links" page which lists banners or text

any ideas on this?

[Flimmeren]

It isnt a bad idea to link to external sites offering complementary solutions/services/products. I would perhaps twink twice about linking to other anime information databases, however it would make sense to contact all the different fansubbers and ask to ask host a link to Anime Planets website from their pages - and perhaps also offer some extra goodies.

In the same way, it could be an idea to make banners and links to stores that are for instance selling japanese products, or to websites that deals with japanese culture. Or what about travels. Or Penpals. There are a lot of possibilities here.

The bottomline is that we do all want to generate increased traffic to anime planet's website - and the best way of doing this, is to generate interest through affiliates.

[im_s-o-r-r-y-Kun]

i like number 2 better, and i also like flim's idea about linking to the fansub groups. that would really bost trafic, not to mention the fansub groups would probably like the forum feedback on there encodes.

but as long as the forum stays clean of banners im happy

[extent]

I think an affiliates page is the best idea, maybe an affiliates section on the links page. As long as the banners don't go about poisoning the rest of the pages of the site (I'm not a banner fan, can you tell??)

The only thing I might worry about tieing too close to fansub groups would be the distribution of licensed anime, particularly with the requests forum and the association with the DC hub network which is full of subs that the groups have asked to be pulled from distribution.

[Ketsuron]

as isk and extent previously wrote ... i also like the second idea better... links belong to the link page...

an affiliates section on the link page - think that would be much better than in the forum...

[sothis]

the comment about fansub groups perhaps not wanting to, is a good thought.. anyone have ideas on this?

or if you are reading this, and are part of a fansub group, in general, is this something your group is for or against?

[Jederek]

i think the idea is great but just don't link any illegal site ( so that you'll never have any problem)

and like it was said before all link should be in the link section
and you should ask the fansub group to link them