B&H Photo in New York (I think) want to put some advertising on these pages. I had a mail last night full of gobbledegook from a very nice fellow who is offering me some (probably miniscule) percentage of anything they sell, if they arrive at the B&H site from a link here.
What shall I do?
Please tell me, dear friends, colleagues and fellow photographers: what would you do? I have never used Adsense, didn’t imagine for one instance that some nice friendly firm, with a good reputation, and who sells cameras and studio lighting and all that stuff, would want get into this um, “possible partnership”.
Although I do promote Classic Photographics whenever I can, and APM in Eldon Square, and so on, this just feels, well, odd. I suppose I could try it and see how things go, or something. I’d better ask them what size and whatnot this advert would be.
Help me, people.
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19 Comments
Go for it. You’ve nothing to lose and you may earn some pocket money. I used to operate a travel website (www.getabroad.co.uk) which was almost nothing but affiliate links. It made me about £600 a year at its peak but that has dwindled away to a pittance as I have been concentrating on my photography.
Hi
Adorama has the same or even a better program where you get 3% commission of every sale coming from your site.
Here is the link
http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=getconnected
Abraham is from Adorama, folks. Thanks. ;)
Rob, I’m really not sure. If these were UK based companies, or people I know, I might feel better disposed. Hmm…
Certainly you should “go for it.” B&H has a great rep, has 30+ years in business and seeks to benefit you and ourselves by supporting sites dedicated to the craft.
And, while it may be lucre, ours is certainly NOT filthy. We promise to send you only clean, pressed, neatly folded lucre at all times. :-)
–
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video, Inc.
Well, someone was telling me the other day how they earn money from a local tourist site they’ve got, where local hotels pay them if people use the link on their site to book rooms.
But whichever way you look at it, it’s an endorsement of a company, so you maybe want to be sure that this company, or any other offering to pay for ads on your site, is one you want to be associated with. I guess that’s easier with a local firm. Perhaps it also depends how invasive the ads are. Personally, I get very very very pissed off with those pop up things that ooze all over your screen while you’re trying to read something else. I did have a pop-up blocker, but it blocked some stuff (not ads) that I actually did want…
How about asking B&Q I mean H for some examples of websites which already run their ads? And find out about the owners and investments, satisfied customers or otherwise, etc. etc.
Assume they are trying to exploit you, ie. don’t give a s*** about either photography or the purpose and intent of your web site, and make a decision accordingly. Nothing wrong with making a few £, but you have to understand what exactly this is all about.
I’ve had these from them as examples of types of ads:
http://www.naturephotographers.net, click on Gear Shoppe
and
http://www.luminous-landscape.com
They both look okay, don’t they?
But do I really want to encourage people to do yet more shopping? I myself only ever buy second (or third or fourth) hand camera equipment. The only things I buy new are film and memory. Buy Nothing Day is coming up: http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/
Photography is like golf, just another glorified and long drawn out shopping opportunity, punctuated by a nice long walk. And I really don’t want to encourage that mentality. See http://www.brendadada.net/2007/11/08/how-to-shoot-events/. :)
I completely agree that I’d only want to carry ads from responsible companies, but B&H do seem to have a good reputation, although they are only in the US. If I bought from them myself (unlikely in the extreme), Customs and Excise would bung on any unspecified finger-in-the-air amount in taxes, and I’d have to pay it.
Joe is right.
I’m still thinking on ‘t.
Mmm… not everyone seems impressed with B&H (see one or two comments on this post: http://thomashawk.com/2005/12/bh-photo-great-place-to-buy-camera.html) and if you’re going to buy something new, then buying it from a locally owned company at least keeps a bit more of your money in your local community. B&H appears to be seriously large and corporate and, as you say, is in the US, which really deserves to be boycotted.
Can’t you get paid for advertising buy nothing day instead? :o))
Hah, yes TH is all about shopping. He’s a man obsessed.
Am most definitely going to advertise Buy Nothing Day. :)
Mmm… not everyone seems impressed with B&H (see one or two comments on this post: http://thomashawk.com/
Actually, the comments there are pretty good. He said, “ll in all I have to say I was pretty pleased with B&H. As my order was a larger order I could understand where they’d want to double check and verify my info and work/shipping phone number and I can’t really blame Fed Ex on the one day delay due to the transit strike. There was no hard sell to buy extra accessories at B&H and I received the camera that I orderd in excellent condition, well packed, for a great price. I will definitely be buying more things from B&H Photo in the future and am very happy about my experience with them.”
All in all, _not_ a bad review.
–
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video
Yes, Thomas Hawk seems impressed. I was referring to this comment:
“B&H Photo Video is a TERRIBLE company to do business with. Avoid them at ALL COSTS! This company sold me a tv and then contacted me the next day asking for an additional $1000!!! They said their sales associate made a mistake. Unfortunately for them this same “mistake” was apparently made in their catalog, web site and the invoice I recieved. They’re theives just trying to jack up the price of an item *after* the sale is made”
and another which, although generally complimentary, referred to sales reps swearing at the customer.
But, irrespective of reputation, there is an issue about advertising a US company on a UK site, is there not?
Global schmobal.
Yes, Thomas Hawk seems impressed. I was referring to this comment:
“B&H Photo Video is a TERRIBLE company to do business with.
That’s not Thomas’ comment. That’s an anonymous and unsubstantiated allegation made by an unidentifiable individual.
there is an issue about advertising a US company on a UK site, is there not?
There is? Why? B&H ships worldwide and is happy to have many satisfied customers from the UK.
–
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video
Thanks for your input, people. I have an open question running on my Facebook page too, if that’s more your style.
Henry, you wrote: “We promise to send you only clean, pressed, neatly folded lucre at all times. :-)”
Henry, I appreciate your lightness of tone and your humour here. Thing is, do you have anything like a social or ethical audit of any kind at B&H? Do you verify suppliers for good practice or any quality standards, anything like that?
Be really good to know.
And the crew from Adorama who are reading this thread: same question to you?
Thanks. I’m getting there, I think. :)
Quoting me: “there is an issue about advertising a US company on a UK site, is there not?”
and B&H man Henry: “There is? Why? B&H ships worldwide and is happy to have many satisfied customers from the UK.”
Me again: “Same reason we don’t want McDonald’s. Global companies generally shift wealth out of local communities. That’s why.”
Whenever I think of B&H a golden packet of twenty fags is the first thing that comes to my mind.
I very seldom buy anything via the web where I have to pay import duty. It often negates any saving to be made and can add complications for returns, warranties and the like.
With that in mind any advert for such a company would simply be more clutter on the screen that I filter out and ignore.
In case you didn’t know I’ve just noticed the time stamp on my post is running 1 hour ahead. You’ve not fallen back have you?
Thanks Alex, I’ve fixed the timestamp.
Good points about the clutter, and about globalism, yes.
I hope Henry is busy looking for B&H’s social audit documentation. Think it’ll take him long to find it?
I re-read that and it might come over as slightly facetious, so I’m sorry for that. I am completely serious. Most companies do something to verify their supply chain these days, don’t they?
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