# What are Webgains?



## jefmcg (21 Sep 2015)

I just posted a link to 7dayshop, and noticed the URL had source=webgains&siteid=54264 added to it. Not a problem, happy for Shaun to have ways of quietly raising money for the services he provides (and I didn't have an affiliate link, so I have no axe to grind).

I'd be interested in knowing what the arrangements are (roughly). Does it work with all links, or just to specific sites? Are you making ok money on it? Does it affect the prices we are shown? Would it be worth while to support cycle chat to use these links rather than typing the URL in?

I'm not the only person who has wondered ...



Berk on a Bike said:


> When I click the OP's link, the page opens via an affiliate URL called Webgains. Who benefits from that? Is it a Cyclechat thing? Just curious.


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## Pale Rider (21 Sep 2015)

There is a webgains website, but to coin the phrase, it's all Greek to me.

http://www.webgains.com/public/


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## Pat "5mph" (21 Sep 2015)

Don't know about those webgains, but CC has shopping links that earn the site a small commission. I try to use them every time I shop.
The link is in a rather obscure part of the forum nowadays, here.


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## Shaun (22 Sep 2015)

CycleChat's revenue comes from two main sources; banner ads via the _Google Adsense_ program and shopping referral commissions through _Skimlinks_.

Guests are the key revenue generators. Since they don't directly contribute to the conversation they are shown banner ads and are also shown two or three merchant links (if products or merchants are mentioned in the text of the page _without _a link on them already). For example if a page text mentions _Amazon_, _Evans_, _Wiggle_, _Trek Bikes_ and _GoPro Cameras_ the system will check to see if those merchants, products or phrases are currently part of the link program, and if so will add links to between two and four of the words in the hope that the visitor clicks the link and buys something. If they do CycleChat gets a very small commission (_which we share with Skimlinks for providing the system_). 

The links that are shown to guests are made visually different from regular CC links by adding an _underline _to them and displaying "Shopping link added by Skimlinks" when you hover over them; hopefully this helps to identify their origin and nature and gives the visitor a choice as to whether they want to click on them or not (although anyone can opt-out here: http://optout.skimlinks.com/)

This automatic linking of merchants and products within the page text is _disabled_ for registered members though; only normal, member added links are visible - but these are still checked on the way out when someone clicks on them and again we will be tagged as the referrer if they point to a participating merchant.

Prices are _not_ modified as a result of following a link from CycleChat and you won't pay any more or less than if you had visited the merchant's site directly. Equally, links that members create are not hijacked or diverted to other merchants and should point to the same landing page as originally intended - however the merchant may add a referring element to the URL to record who sent the visitor their way (as per your example @jefmcg).

I've hopefully managed to maintain a good balance between providing an excellent service, generating revenue, and having a clean layout by creating a symbiotic relationship that is neither invasive, nagging or visually spoiling of anyone's enjoyment of the site - member or guest; and whilst I generate less income than I potentially could from CC, I feel the set-up we have is preferable to going down the route of giant-sized header ads, pop-unders, pop-outs, sidebars, video overlays, full-screen take-over ads, paid subscriptions, ads disguised as content, newsletters, selling of visitor metric data, minimal content with 20 ads per page, and ... well, you get the idea. 

As to the revenue generated - it pays for the on-going running costs and updates, and goes towards servicing the personal debt I've amassed during the development of CC (_which has been worth every penny_). 

Cheers,
Shaun


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## Shut Up Legs (22 Sep 2015)

As I've said before, @Shaun, I'd be happy to make a donation, if it would help keep this site running, and no doubt other CC members would be, also.


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## Shaun (22 Sep 2015)

Shut Up Legs said:


> As I've said before, @Shaun, I'd be happy to make a donation, if it would help keep this site running, and no doubt other CC members would be, also.



Thanks for the offer but there's no need - all the running costs are covered and as CC grows the other stuff is slowly getting sorted too. 

The best way to help CC is to simply do what you're all already doing - visit, post and chat to the world about your cycling. 

Cheers,
Shaun


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## shouldbeinbed (22 Sep 2015)

Shaun said:


> Thanks for the offer but there's no need - all the running costs are covered and as CC grows the other stuff is slowly getting sorted too.
> 
> The best way to help CC is to simply do what you're all already doing - visit, post and chat to the world about your cycling.
> 
> ...


That sounds a remarkably fair deal for such a inclusive and pleasant place to visit & +1 to SuL, I'd still be here if it ever did go to a subscription / donation service.

Just out of curiosity, is the current furore (or storm in a teacup???) around ad-blockers and their sort of legitimisation by Apple etc likely to have an impact on CC's revenue streams for guest links? I know precious little about how that side of things works other than the doom laden columnist predictions about the end of free internet page access.


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## jefmcg (22 Sep 2015)

There's a saying "if you are not paying, you're the product" I think that's quite clearly true here. We are unpaid but willing content providers. Non members/advertisers are the customers. That's a good model that clearly is working for Shaun.


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## Shaun (22 Sep 2015)

I've never been too bothered about ad blockers - you can't stop people using them and whilst there are ways to detect them and withhold or obfuscate content based on their use, it is counter-intuitive as it doesn't generally encourage people to register, rather it drives them away to other sites and resources.

Free and open access CC is a part of our success and continued growth; those same guests also mention us on their social media feeds, link to us from their blogs and websites (_even if they don't sign-up and join in_) and recommend us to other people they talk to.

I'm not able to accurately calculate it, but I work on the assumption that the benefits from all that open access and exchange are worth losing a couple of quid from banner ad revenue for the few people that use ad-blockers. 

Cheers,
Shaun


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