If you’ve ever visited Engadget or any of the other Weblogs Inc. blogs, you’ll noticed that they all run a cool little stripe ad at the top of their blogs. I always thought that was a cool advertising feature because it’s highly visible (it’s the absolute first thing readers see) and not that intrusive. Now, MaxBlogPress has ordered a review for a WordPress Plugin that lets you create your own stripe ads.
Enter “Stripe Ads”, a new non-obtrusive way of displaying a single line of advertising message, a special note or other information right at the top of your blog, just like this:
As WordPress Plugins goes, MaxBlogPress Stripe Ad is pretty complete. There are tons of options to control the look and feel of your ads. Installation is also very simple – just download the Plugin, unzip, upload to your WordPress Plugins folder and activate. All the Plugin controls will be located in the WordPress Options section under MBP Stripe Ad.
Unlimited Stripes Ads
Entering ads is as simple as entering the title and the link. MaxBlogPress Stripe Ad gives you the option to open the link in a new window and apply weight which helps determine how often the ad will appear. There’s also an option to disable a link in case an advertiser doesn’t renew. Global settings includes the ability to stick the stripe to the top of the page at all time, hide the close button and disable all the ads.
You don’t have to use MaxBlogPress Stripe Ad for selling advertising. The Plugin can be used to promote anything on your blog. From highlighting a feature articles to announcing a contest to telling everyone you’re getting married, the Stripe Ad is a great way to get attention.
Complete Control Over Ad Appearance
MaxBlogPress Stripe Ad offers really good control over the look and feel of the ads. There are options to set the front style, color and size. You can also control the background and border color. Additional options include how many time you wish the ads to show up on your blog and a field to enter your Clickbank ID (MaxBlogPress has an affiliate program).
The only thing I don’t like about the Plugin is the “Powered by MaxBlogPress” that appears on the right side of the Stripe. There is no option to turn it off. It would be nice if MaxBlogPress offers a paid professional version without the link. I’m sure many bloggers would be willing to pay for an unbranded Stripe Ad. The link does carry your Clickbank ID (if you have one) so it may make money for you, but I rather pay to have it removed. The powered by link is the only thing stopping me from running the stripe ads (that and the blog is too top heavy already).
For bloggers looking for a new advertising revenue source or a way to plug features on their own blog, the MaxBlogPress Stripe Ad plugin is a pretty good solution.
*Update – Well, that didn’t take long. Interest in the stripe ad has been so great I sold four ads already! If anyone want to buy a Stripe Ad, the price is $250 per month. Only five spots are available. Four have been sold already so if you want that last spot, get your order in now.
Payment for the Stripe Ad will be by PayPal subscription. Once payment has been made, email your ad description and link to johnchow@johnchow.com.
*Update 2 – Ads are sold out.
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