A common question many new bloggers have on their mind is when should I start putting ads on my blog?

There are two differing opinions about this issue.

• One point of view is that a blog should only put ads after it has gain reasonable following and established itself as a reputable blog.
• The other group believes that there is no harm in putting the ads on a blog from day one. A blogger should put the ads from the get go if he or she so desires.

Both approaches have their pros and cons and it is up to every individual to decide which approach is best for them. My advice is that you should put ads on your blog from day one. If you are thinking of eventually putting ads on your blog why not do it from the very beginning? The argument against putting the ads on a freshly minted blog is that ads on a new blog may turn away many visitors. I don’t agree with this reasoning..

The arguments supporting the second point of view carry more weight. I’ll list just list a few here.

1. Most visitors expect to see some ads when they visit any website. Your readers too expect to see some ads on your blog. Ads from the start will set your visitors expectations.
2. If you add ads later, say after 6 months, there is a possibility that your readers who are used to ad-free website may not like this change and may no longer visit your blog.
3. It is easy to design your website if you know that you are putting ads from day one. If you decide later to display ads you may have to spend time and/or money to change your blog layout to accommodate ad units.
4. By running your blog without ads is like leaving free money on the table. It may not be a huge sum but you sure will miss the opportunity to earn money from your blog.
5. If done right, well placed ads do add to overall appeal of the website.

But don’t get too greedy. Too many ads without any worthwhile content will surly turn away your visitors. 20% of the real state of your website can be used to display ads without cluttering the page.
Another friendly advice: Try to avoid pop-up or pop-down and flashing ads on your blog. They are annoying and any visitors you may get may quickly jump off to your competitor.

So what do you think is the ideal time to start monetizing a blog?

Img credit:Gunnar Ries