Would You Pay a Monthly Subscription for an Ad Free Social Networking Site?

I'm thinking about creating a social networking membership site. It will focus on a niche so will not have to compete with big names like Facebook. But social networking sites usually make their profit from those annoying ads and pop-ups all over the site.

So my question is will people be willing to pay monthly/yearly for a unique social networking site free from ads. Being a membership site it will have free membership plans as well as paid ones, and of course will have benefits with paid plans. So If you would pay for a unique networking site like this, how much would you pay and what benefits would you like to see?

 

It solely depends on the content of the site. I have both paid and free memberships with many networks and the presence of ads is the last thing that I pay attention to. It's the content, traffic and who I get a chance to network with that matter to me. Digital Point has ads and I don't think they bother anyone because of the information you are able to collect and share here.

 

It depends on what benefits are given with paid membership option.

But you should keep in mind there are still too many people around who don't buy anything online. Also most of the online shoppers buy only from well known, old, trustworthy sites not from all the sites. It's almost impossible convert a typical internet user into a direct buyer unless owning a well known, old and big business. This is where ad networks make money. Ad networks are the bridges between you and big businesses. Your visitor becomes a buyer only with ads of big businesses. Thus everyone makes money.

 

I wouldn't pay for ad-free social networking site, however I know people who probably would, but it would depend on many factors.

 

If they "just have to have it" then they will pay.

 

If you can tap into a sub-niche like you've suggested, and drive enough traffic and free registrations to the site, it's reasonable to assume you can begin to convert a percentage of these members into paid subscribers, dependent upon the bonus features you're planning to offer them, of course.

WebDev

 

You will have to think for a different way to make the site more attractive to the users. Ad-free is not enough to get paid membership model. Very few people will pay for a social site just to keep away from ads.

Also, when you say niche - what exactly are you planning? This step is crucial, niche sites can have features for which people can pay monthly fees - sort of like membership sites. The important question here is the benefits and the features for the members.

let us know what you are planning and we can give you a more specific advice,
cheers,
Uttoran Sen,

 

Here is a hypothetical question that I think will sum it up. I would be interested to hear the OP's as well the rest of your responses.

Would you pay Facebook $5/month for an ad free site?

 

When you think about it from the standpoint that Tom11011 ask the answer would be no. The ads are not that intrusive and I think most people have gotten used to seeing ads. I dont mind seeing them because from time to time I do see things that interest me so unless your content is so good that it captures my attention then I would not pay.

 

Wouldn't a paid social site be the same as a dating site pretty much/ Just asking.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking along the lines of Emberrx. A paid social networking site would rely on the user knowing other members whereas a dating site would be reliant on how many members are already subscribed. Personally speaking however, I would not pay for either.

 

As my wife says sometimes: "A website without ads looks suspicious!"

LOL. But I think she's got a point. We're all so used to ads that nobody cares about them anymore. It's the content that matters.

I'd suggest you start your service free, initially, and if it grows you can later try a paid membership / subscription.

 

No, not for an ad-free experience. Personally I don't find banner ads annoying. Ads on videos , on the hand, are extremely annoying to me. Take HuluPlus. They show several ads on many shows EVEN THOUGH you pay them a monthly fee. But even then, it's the content or service that matters and the reason someone will pay you a monthly fee. So the fact that I continue to pay HuluPlus a monthly fee despite their annoying ads should tell you something.

 

On the flip side of that, I find netflix to be a pretty good bargain at $8 per month. And of course there is no advertising.

 

I wish I can "Like" this comment...I agree with starting free and then offer an upgrade option.

 

NO!!

 

If the network itself was beneficial for my interests then it could be worth it. A monthly charge would help to weed out non-serious members and spam so it could be a better experience. The cost itself would be the next determining factor.

 

I actually like the idea of a specialized paid social networking site, but not just to get rid of ads. That certainly wouldn't be motivation for me to join. However, if I knew that the content or the members of that social networking site were highly motivated and skilled, then it becomes worth it.

One of the problems with free sites is that they allow anybody and everybody with an opinion to chime in. A membership fee can act as a gatekeeper to allow only those who are really passionate about what you are focused on to participate. If someone is paying a monthly membership, you can bet that they are very interested in that topic.

This model requires that you get the right people involved to make it a unique and exclusive community. Without that, users will have little incentive to join. The models I have seen that have done this effectively often started out free, then converted to paid after there was a general consensus to do this.

 

Most people don't know you make money from ads, they don't find ads disturbing, the question is what this social network can offer and others like Facebook don't in my opinion.

 

never!