Thanks for the insight. Yes, perhaps they inflate the pageviews (somehow) to garner interest and get you to throw down money.
In general, I'm not a fan of paid search since it creates an artificial boost in traffic. It's fine if you're a large company with a big ad budget, but even so, as soon as you turn of the spigit, the water runs dry...
Agree with andymoe. Don't let your current emotional state dictate your decision. Take time to think about it, talk it over with your wife, etc.
My best advice is to try and get something going while you currently have a job (you said you have time to learn right? why not use this time to build something?)
I once reached out to Seth Godin for advice on whether I should try and get a job in tech or just run with the startup idea I had on my own. He told me to quit and start immediately. In retrospect I'm really glad I didn't go with his advice since I would have felt completely lost and unprepared after the initial rush of doing my own thing. Instead, I've worked on side projects in my spare time, and eventually one idea clicked and the company is taking off (feel very fortunate).
Go with your gut, but also make sure you feel in control of your life and have options. Stick it out, save money, and if you do quit, you will be more comfortable supporting your decision as well as your family.
I asked because I'm seeing a good percentage of links to our site, but when I click through to them all I get is a salesy page about advertising on StumbleUpon.
As Robert noted we plan to make adjustments. Early next week we are adding the functionality for users to ask questions directly on the site, without having to use the iPhone app. Your copy, "Ask your question," might be a good fit there.
This service is appealing to non-technical people because it makes them seem technical.
Unfortunately, I think people will looking to hire based more on online presence- specifically LinkedIn and your blog (assuming you have one.) The access LinkedIn allows you to past employers and your network of colleagues is becoming crucial to hiring.
Great post Jason. I was chatting with a colleague about this and he used to work for a small-ish NYC-based mailing list that focused on high-income young professionals.
He mentioned that the metrics advertisers were sold on (subscribers, CTRs, bounce rate, etc) were largely embellished and misrepresented. It seems like these numbers would be easy to fudge and that advertisers would rarely ask for further documentation (even analytic screenshots can be misrepresented). Are people finding this a concern among advertisers?
Working for a digital advertising agency, I've seen both sides of the coin. On the one hand, you experience a little disdain for ads. If you don't start off by analyzing them (what are they trying to accomplish? who is the audience? why is this relevant?) you generally ignore them with a pinch of disgust.
JacobAldridge, you nailed it in terms of the industry shifting towards a "give" approach, and as long as personalized ads aren't perceived as evasive by consumers, they will become much more potent and beneficial for both parties.
As for Mankhool's comment about the big corporate brands most are very familiar with, I think this idea is worth a shot: drop all current advertising and use the money towards donating public art. Paired with a great PR team, public art by Coca-Cola could make for a very broad and positive impression.