I note on Any Answers that Sift is advertising tax software with the tagline 'Kiss Your Accountant Goodbye'.
Am I being over-sensitive if I say that this is disrespectful towards the vast majority of members of the community?
Replies (23)
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I was going to ask about this yesterday? Or whether it is appropriate for individual firms to advertise on here (Cheltenham firm).
But it's not disrespectful it's just stupid. Stupid young people who are say they do something called "digital marketing" which seems just mucking about on a website and not thinking at all about what they put on it.........?
I haven't noticed that one, Andy
But I agree with you. It's biting the hand that feeds.
How do the ads work? I ask because some ads are nothing to do with accountancy, so wondered if they were generated by Google, or something similar.
Self-defeating advertising
It sounds like self-defeating advertising on a site for accountants.
But then, I never see any adverts, so I cannot possibly comment!
Adverts
Hello,
This doesn't sound like one of our own advertisements - it may be a Google AdSense ad, controlled by Google and based loosely on search results.
Would you mind sending me a screenshot and/or link of the ad ([email protected]) so we can take a look at it please? If it's a Google ad, we can make sure it doesn't appear on the site again.
Many thanks,
Rachael
Adwords?
I noticed that this morning too - it was from SimpleTax , who do sole trader self assessments, and "suggest" common tax savings as the user goes through their self assessment (e.g. working from home £4). Not great for us accountants doing compliance work, but is a warning of what is to come really.
It might be Google Adwords automatically placing that ad on here, but yes they probably have some control over it and can block certain advertisers.
Andy just out of interest
Was it the product and the tagline you found offensive or the accompanying picture of a young woman suggestively licking her lips?
I wonder how we can tell the Sift endorsed ones from Google AdSense?
Google ads usually have a little "AdChoices" triangle icon in the top-right corner.
Eh?
I do not use ad block because without ads no Accounting Web.
AWeb works fine with ad block on.
Its not the only income source and I got fed up of having pages plastered with inappropriate ads.
Thanks for bearing with us.
Obviously we have to keep he lights on up here
As a side note are there any "ads" that you do like (or at least tolerate) whether on AWEB or other sites?
We make a point of tailoring the advertising in the email newswires so they offer something useful. Does that help?
Any feedback - as ever, much appreciated.
Thanks
Andy
(AWEB Publisher)
Hello again.
Hello again.
We've sorted this particular ad out and thank you for flagging it up to us.
It was served up automatically, based on a number of factors including the content of the page. It's not been brought to our attention so won't be shown int he future.
Google Adsense ads are automatically populated, based on your own Google searches and ad preferences. (I.e. I currently see one for Rosetta Stone as I searched for a language course recently).
You can tell a Google Adsense ad by the small 'x' in the corner of the advert. If in the meantime (before we're able to deal with it) you want to get rid of a particular ad, just click the 'x' and Google will remember never to show it to you again.
We're sorry for any offence caused by this advert, which was in no way affiliated with us.
@ rachael you want to get rid of a particular ad, just ...
...click the x
I just get two options
report this ad or
ad covers the page
Which do you suggest - don't want to annoy the advertisers. (True story)
@Democratus I get two options: Report this ad and Stop seeing this ad. I'm not sure why you're not getting the second one but I can try to find out.
Options
@rachael, I get the same options as Democratus, no option to "Stop seeing this ad"
Quick question - are either or both of you logged into Gmail when you're trying to do this?
i now get the option to "not see the ad"
and am not yet logged into Gmail. Perhaps that's my problem.