Head To Head Battle :: ASE Adnet vs. TTZ Media
Earlier this year I had signed up as an affiliate of TTZ Media and created Spicy Tech Deals to leverage the product ads and create an additional source of revenue.
Thus far the results have been lackluster, due in large part to the lack of traffic that I have directed that way. For the right site though, you stand to earn a considerable amount - as evidenced by the fact that I have received a decent payout on the earnings of people that I have referred to TTZ Media.
Introducing ASE Adnet
A few weeks back I received an email from Aron Schatz inviting me to take a look at his service called ASE Adnet - which is a direct competitor to TTZ Media. Aron had noticed that I was using TTZ Media and felt that his network could offer the same type of product links but with a better earnings-per-click (EPC).
Unlike the tiered EPC structure that is implemented with TTZ, ASE Adnet is using a percentage based system that opens the door for higher (and lower) earnings per click. Generally speaking, Aron indicated that one can expect an average EPC of approximately $0.25.
From Spicy To Cheap
As a means of testing out Aron’s belief that I can earn more money with Adnet, I decided to update a site that I have to be a clone of Spicy Tech Deals and implement the Adnet ads to run a direct comparison against TTZ Media.
Cheap Tech Prices has been updated and is currently running the ASE Adnet ads. The head to head battle has begun and now it is a matter of driving traffic, testing different ad types, and reporting.
Initial Thoughts on ASE Adnet
The Adnet code has only been running for a few hours so it is too early to see any tangible results, although there are a few things that have impressed me right off the bat.
- Reporting :: It is nice to see that the reports are updated on an hourly basis, whereas TTZ Media updates daily if everything is running smoothly. In addition, there is a relatively new report that will allow you to search by date and campaign for a list of products with statistics on what is being clicked. This will help your CTR as you can clearly see which products are being clicked and allow you to feature them more prominently.
- Configurable :: The Adnet interface has a code generator that offers two flavors - simple or advanced. The simple ad code generator is easy to use and guides you through the ad creation process. As a more technical person, I was immediately drawn to the advanced ad code generator that offers full control over how the ads are displayed on my site - from colors to size to layout.
- Support :: While Adnet might be a one-man operation right now, don’t think that means there is any sacrifice on the support. Aron has been outstanding and has quickly answered any question that I’ve sent via email. In addition, he is open to suggestions if you see something that is missing or needs improvement with the interface or ad code generation.
Right now I am very excited to be using the new Adnet ads and am anxious to see if I can surpass the meager earnings that I have generated with TTZ Media.
Sign Up and Win An XBox 360
In an effort to welcome new publishers, Adnet is giving away a free XBox 360 and you can gain your first entry for the contest simply by signing up as an ASE Adnet publisher!
On top of having a chance to win a sweet prize, you can generate additional income by referring other people to sign up with the service as well. For any publisher you refer to Adnet, you will earn 10% of their first twelve months earnings - remember what I said about my TTZ referral earnings!
Once I have more time using Adnet, you can be sure that there will be future updates on how it is working for me. In the meantime, I would encourage all of you to check it out and test an ad on your site to see how it works. If nothing else, signing up and implementing an ad block will enter you for the XBox 360!
I’m happy that there is another competitor. TTZ Media needs a kick in the pants. Whenever I have a problem with TTZ Media not loading, or giving errors on the site, or pausing pages completely, I ping John. John tells me to “Go Tell Jeff” or “Go Tell BlueFur”. Hardly useful. Hopefully, if he feels it in the pocket book, he’ll take the problems seriously.
I would gladly switch to something else if I wasn’t making a substantial chunk of TTZ Media. If someone offered to guarantee my earnings for 6 months, I’d switch immediately.
Stephens last blog post..The Origin of the Humping Japanese Squid
It would be really interesting to see a comparison using a site like yours that gets the traffic that it does. But as you said, with TTZ making a nice chunk it is hard to swap out.
I’m wondering if it would be feasible to do a little A/B testing using TTZ against Adnet on a site like yours. That would be interesting to see.
Like I said, if Aron guaranteed my income, I’d switch for six months just to see.
Stephens last blog post..The Origin of the Humping Japanese Squid
Hey Stephen,
If you want to discuss anything just shoot me an email, aron@aselabs.com.
I don’t know what you mean by me guarantying your income. I love examples, so here my problem…
Ex. You currently make $7.5/day on TTZ. Based on their tiers that would be 50 clicks/day for the entire month. You’d make $225 with them.
So now something happens to your site and you want to try ASE Adnet. You know have lower traffic and lower clicks because of it. See my problem with something like that guaranty? Event though you’d probably be making more per click, overall it would be less.
Anyway, thanks for the quick review, Derek. I’m glad someone is using the advanced generator!
One thing about my network is that it is built for speed and customization. You’ll notice on any site that it runs on that the ads are the LAST thing to load. This is done since the publisher’s site is the important bit and the content is king above all else.
Aron Schatzs last blog post..Product Reports Added
Based on that, I don’t think it would be an option for me ATM. Since I’m confident in the performance of ,u site, I would need a guaranteed amount while we mess around with things.
Having an advertiser guarantee your income to jump ship from a competitor isn’t actually a new concept. It is an extremely aggressive tactic, yes, but based on all the “Oh, just try us out, you’ll see” offers I’ve bitten on that backfired, it’s the only offer that I’m willing to take these days. I have to protect my interests.
Stephens last blog post..The Origin of the Humping Japanese Squid
Should be “my site” not “u site”.
Stephens last blog post..The Origin of the Humping Japanese Squid
Shoot me an email and we’ll discuss this. I sent you an email through your site and wasn’t sure if it reached you.
I didn’t realize you owned Futurelooks. I’d be happy to extend a guaranty base on that.
Aron Schatzs last blog post..Product Reports Added
Yup! That’s me! I just don’t give away “Flip Flaps” you know
No, I didn’t get that one Aron. I’ll shoot you an email after I finish with my other advertising adjustments to find out a bit more on what you have to offer.
Stephens last blog post..The Reason Why We Had No Pho in Taipei…
The XBox sounds inviting, but I’ve never won any contest in my life so far. But still, the affiliate referral also sounds intriguing. Kinda like money which you can earn in your sleep. You make a lot from referring affiliates, Derek?
I like to win a xbox 360. I shall give my all afford to win that.
Thanks for bringing this new program to my attention. I am a bit hesitant to invest in a ‘one man operation’, but as you say, the product is top notch. I also like how the stats are updated hourly. I absolutely hate having to wait until the next day to check stats and alter strategy. This the Internet age!!
I will look into Adnet a little closer before taking the plunge, but it’s good to see some competitors out there nonetheless.
I’m surprised that Adnet is so successful, even though it’s only run by a single person. I know a lot of companies that are one-man operations, and they work out fine, so I’m sure this will too, especially based on your review.
I have given my hand to TTZ before…
got back nothing…I guess ONLY and ONLY google adsense is good for me..
I’ve not really looked at ad revenue, I’m always concerned that it will take people away from the affiliate sign-ups that I really want. Is that likely to be the case?
Nice website for techie persons.
The more the compeition the merrier for us. Should check out this new service. Thanks for the tip.
Eva Whites last blog post..Charging Your Phone… Forget It!
Competition means challenge and room for improvement.