www.digitalpoint.com forum makes big bucks from Adsense

**marsguitars** · Jan 13th, 2008, 2:25 am

According to this article:
Google Adsense Millionaires « The Prince of Darkness..

Shawn Hogan, owner of DigitalPoint.com makes at least $10,000 per month from Adsense ads and forum members speculate that he is making at least twice that amount now.

Do we believe that? And how much does webtalkforums.com make? It seems like a bigger and more sophisticated forum than some of the oters I frequent.
(BTW, I have no problem with these forums making big bucks - they do a good job and deserve it, especially where they offer revenue sharing).

Now I understand why everyone wants to run a forum!

Back in January of 2005 the New York Times had an article about AdSense, featuring Shawn Hogan, founder of DigitalPoint. The article states that Mr. Hogan makes $10,000 per month from Google AdSense using a very unique revenue sharing model.

Google pays Digital Point about $10,000 a month, depending on how many people view or click on those ads, said Shawn D. Hogan, the owner and chief technology officer of Digital Point.

Mr. Hogan said he started the revenue-sharing approach in 2004 “as kind of a marketing gimmick.”

“But everyone seemed to think it was a cool idea,” he said. “I saw a lot of other sites doing the same thing maybe six months later.”

DigitalPoint have grown a lot since that article and while Mr. Hogun would not say anything, the DigitalPoint forum members speculate that he is making at least twice that amount now.

**Autumn** · Jan 13th, 2008, 2:32 am

It would take a lot of bucks to keep that big beast chuffing along. If he makes a profit also, good for him :beerchug:

**Ned** · Jan 13th, 2008, 2:33 am

Impressive

**Stax** · Jan 13th, 2008, 10:00 am

wish it was me

**Zap** · Jan 13th, 2008, 10:09 am

Think back to 2004 and the kind of payouts that AdSense was offering all of its publishers.
Now fast forward to 2008. Payouts have dropped dramatically.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that DP is making much less than $10,000 per month now.

**geekonetwothree** · Jan 13th, 2008, 10:31 am

Even if it is less than 10k it is still a fantastic amount of money, I cant imagine the traffic needed to generate the number of clicks for 10k amount.

I think the traffic could well crash the servers, they sure need a lot of servers and a lot of bandwidth.

**CountryBoy** · Jan 13th, 2008, 10:55 am

He's a bit strange Shawn - I remember him entering into an expensive legal case just to prove a point about movie rights or something similar. Last I heard, on the DP jungle drums admittedly, was that DP was coining in about 20k per month. I think it's reached its peak now mind.

**bbrian017** · Jan 13th, 2008, 11:11 am

Some people are so dedicated to Digital Point I wouldn't be surprised if most of the clicks were fake. Due to some of the activities at Digital Point I'm honestly surprised Google hasn't baned Shawn's account! Don't get me wrong I like DP but none the less this is still the truth!

**Ned** · Jan 13th, 2008, 11:17 am

DP is honest; they get a ton of traffic.

**CountryBoy** · Jan 13th, 2008, 11:18 am

Originally Posted by bbrian017

Some people are so dedicated to Digital Point I wouldn't be surprised if most of the clicks were fake. Due to some of the activities at Digital Point I'm honestly surprised Google hasn't baned Shawn's account! Don't get me wrong I like DP but none the less this is still the truth!

That's a good point actually Brian. I think that DP hypes itself too much as a revenue sharing forum. If you look below their AdSense banner top right you'll see the words "This is an ad revenue sharing forum" which links to an explanation of the system. To me that is drawing people's attention to the fact that if they click they may benefit, which is obviously wrong.

Originally Posted by Ned

DP is honest; they get a ton of traffic.

Tons of traffic maybe, but honest not. Trust me on that.

**bbrian017** · Jan 13th, 2008, 11:22 am

yes Digital Point is a crooked place you have to be very careful in who you deal with or your liable to get ripped off! Anyways I think were talking about Google Revenues and as I already mentioned illegal activity takes place at Digital Point therefore Google shouldn't even be promoting there.

But on the other hand purchasing world of war craft gold is also illegal yet Google promotes their Gold selling websites via banners using Google Adwords!

Ironic, I think not...

**Colleen** · Jan 13th, 2008, 11:30 am

Originally Posted by marsguitars

And how much does webtalkforums.com make

DP has the ads on the top of their forum, forum-wide, we don't. Also, AdSense hasn't been on our forum long enough to really comment on how much it makes here, right now.

**bbrian017** · Jan 13th, 2008, 1:08 pm

Over at blogengage.com I'm making 2USD - 4USD a day! It's the most I have ever made at anyone of my sites using Google Adsense and I have been a member now for 1 and a half years!

**marsguitars** · Jan 13th, 2008, 2:00 pm

Originally Posted by bbrian017

Over at blogengage.com I'm making 2USD - 4USD a day! It's the most I have ever made at anyone of my sites using Google Adsense and I have been a member now for 1 and a half years!

I think that's more the level of most Adsense publishers!

What sort of daily traffic do you get to make that level of income?

**bbrian017** · Jan 13th, 2008, 2:07 pm

When I hit 1000 visitors in a day I will be from 3 - 4 USD and when I hit 500 members it's 1-3 USD. I have had days where I get 1400 visitors and only make 50 cents from Google so it's always so unpredictable!

I'm also pretty lucky because I can target my ads a lot seeing I only have bloggers around the website. Google does a great job a targeting their ads!

**Stax** · Jan 14th, 2008, 7:18 am

Originally Posted by bbrian017

When I hit 1000 visitors in a day I will be from 3 - 4 USD and when I hit 500 members it's 1-3 USD. I have had days where I get 1400 visitors and only make 50 cents from Google so it's always so unpredictable!

I'm also pretty lucky because I can target my ads a lot seeing I only have bloggers around the website. Google does a great job a targeting their ads!

hehe...now i really wish you hadn't of decided not to sell the site

lol

**WikicyloN** · Jan 14th, 2008, 9:21 am

shouldn't this be moved to the dp thread?

**axemedia** · Jan 14th, 2008, 9:59 am

Originally Posted by Zap

Think back to 2004 and the kind of payouts that AdSense was offering all of its publishers.
Now fast forward to 2008. Payouts have dropped dramatically.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that DP is making much less than $10,000 per month now.

Payouts per click are a lot lower yes, but DP traffic is many orders of magnitude higher since then, so many many more clicks. Take a peak at their Alexa rank and page views (attached below) since 2004.

Funny thing is the traffic peaked in early 2007 and has been falling significantly since then it seems. A mass exodus of sorts.

I know i don't frequent there as much anymore.

WTF is merely a blip in comparison to DP, so Colleen and friends ain't making much bank on this baby yet.

**Cyberbite** · Jan 14th, 2008, 11:29 am

$10k/month is not a lot considering that some of that gets split with Revenue Sharing, and they have hardware and network expenses.I can't tell you exactly, but one of my colo's costs over $10k/month, and that's just one of them.

Remember, DP is not just a forum site, they create software and I believe they do consulting.

**webster13045** · Jan 14th, 2008, 11:42 am

To bad shawn did not take care of the people that click them ads

**axemedia** · Jan 14th, 2008, 11:53 am

Originally Posted by Cyberbite

$10k/month is not a lot considering that some of that gets split with Revenue Sharing, and they have hardware and network expenses.I can't tell you exactly, but one of my colo's costs over $10k/month, and that's just one of them.

Remember, DP is not just a forum site, they create software and I believe they do consulting.

They raise a rather sizable chunk of hosting costs (a $85,043.84 blade server setup) via donations. So far totaling $63,172.15

The big donors get a link on that page. So $500 plus gets you a PR6 (i believe it used to be PR7) link

take a look at the links, there are a number that look like they were obviously bought with the intention of getting link juice.

**grim** · Jan 14th, 2008, 12:25 pm

BTW I could be wrong but the $10k estimate is what DP gets, those who get a 'split' are not included in that. I have also heard it went up greatly since then.

He also gets donations for the server and makes money on other fronts on that server 'cluster' plus traffic and membership is up from back then as well 'I believe'

**Colleen** · Jan 14th, 2008, 12:28 pm

Originally Posted by WikicyloN

shouldn't this be moved to the dp thread?

No, that thread is basically for general crap, many disgruntled DP'rs have come here and started threads to complain about DP, that is why they got merged, that and the "DP is down" crap.

This however is an actual discussion.

**Firegirl** · Jan 15th, 2008, 12:20 pm

No matter what DP makes, I don't think Shawn makes as much profit as we think. It cost sooo much money to keep everything going, so most of the money probably goes to that. Don't get me wrong, Shawn is probably FAR from poor, but people have to realize that it's all relative. DP is huge, which in turn generates a lot of income, but because it's so huge it also costs a lot more money. On a forum, traffic goes up, money goes up, work goes up, and cost to maintain it goes up as well.....

**Stax** · Jan 15th, 2008, 12:33 pm

Originally Posted by Firegirl

No matter what DP makes, I don't think Shawn makes as much profit as we think. It cost sooo much money to keep everything going, so most of the money probably goes to that. Don't get me wrong, Shawn is probably FAR from poor, but people have to realize that it's all relative. DP is huge, which in turn generates a lot of income, but because it's so huge it also costs a lot more money. On a forum, traffic goes up, money goes up, work goes up, and cost to maintain it goes up as well.....

i'd like to see how much bandwidth DP uses

**bbrian017** · Jan 16th, 2008, 6:40 am

not much bandwidth at all, the forums are pretty much all text, forums don't really take up much bandwidth at all

I don't thank anyways haha

**grim** · Jan 16th, 2008, 7:45 am

Originally Posted by bbrian017

not much bandwidth at all, the forums are pretty much all text, forums don't really take up much bandwidth at all

I don't thank anyways haha

Alot of text and he's got the forum stripped pretty good of images, each page however is pretty big, plus lots of users loading each page.

**ZeroCapacity** · Jan 16th, 2008, 4:26 pm

Originally Posted by GRIM

Alot of text and he's got the forum stripped pretty good of images, each page however is pretty big, plus lots of users loading each page.

That is also the main reason for only two templates. They are the stripped down bare bones versions. He is smart in this aspect. The bandwidth the other templates generate could cost double what it does now.

**webster13045** · Jan 16th, 2008, 4:40 pm

i am willing to bet if they deleted all the banned members you would see a good cut in there users

**Autumn** · Jan 17th, 2008, 1:42 am

If they deleted the banned members, they would lose way too much information about them

*Sammie* · Jan 19th, 2008, 9:39 am

Originally Posted by Zap

Think back to 2004 and the kind of payouts that AdSense was offering all of its publishers.
Now fast forward to 2008. Payouts have dropped dramatically.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that DP is making much less than $10,000 per month now.

back in 2004 when i joined in december 2004, i was member 2551 so to make $10,000 a month from 2500 members is a lot, today with over 130,000 members and 44,965 Active Members DP is making $60,000 a month, with a 50/50 split thats $30,000 to Shawn and the rest split between the active members that have their code in the "gimmick" page.

read below for more understanding

Originally Posted by CountryBoy

He's a bit strange Shawn - I remember him entering into an expensive legal case just to prove a point about movie rights or something similar. Last I heard, on the DP jungle drums admittedly, was that DP was coining in about 20k per month. I think it's reached its peak now mind.

shoemoney has posted a pic holding a cheque for 120,000 from adsense, i am sure DP has more members clicking ads on dp that shoemoney has, mainly because shawn gives 50% of it back to them that are clicking them.

Originally Posted by bbrian017

not much bandwidth at all, the forums are pretty much all text, forums don't really take up much bandwidth at all

I don't thank anyways haha

yet someone else that has little understanding of DP and the servers, dp bandwidth is huge, the forums take less than 10% of the bandwidth, the tools that track keywords and the coop ads are what use the most bandwidth, and there are a lot more tools on dp that use more bandwidth than the forums.

Originally Posted by GRIM

Alot of text and he's got the forum stripped pretty good of images, each page however is pretty big, plus lots of users loading each page.

see above, you are thinking the same as the others and forgetting the coop ads servers and keyword tracking tools and the rest of the tools that chew up most of the bandwidth lol

Originally Posted by Autumn

If they deleted the banned members, they would lose way too much information about them

no webmaster in their right mind would delete banned member accounts. then you just open 50,000 accounts to be reopened by the banned members and have to re ban 50,000 accounts again, how much are you paying your staff? to redo all that work you just undo with 1 click of your mouse?

**grim** · Jan 19th, 2008, 12:08 pm

Originally Posted by Sammie

see above, you are thinking the same as the others and forgetting the coop ads servers and keyword tracking tools and the rest of the tools that chew up most of the bandwidth lol

Not at all, I am speaking of the forum as that is what I was speaking of. I know there is more to DP than the forums, the forum itself however was what was being discussed

I don't use any of the tools, I could care less about them

**geekonetwothree** · Jan 19th, 2008, 7:49 pm

I am a bit curious, why don't there be some adsense here? Adsense is a big money maker. One here and there can make a lot of money for the forum.

**webster13045** · Jan 19th, 2008, 8:09 pm

all i got to say is one thing

we made shawn money now he don't give a rats ass about any one over there may not like my comment but it is the truth

**Colleen** · Jan 19th, 2008, 8:38 pm

Originally Posted by geekonetwothree

I am a bit curious, why don't there be some adsense here? Adsense is a big money maker. One here and there can make a lot of money for the forum.

Adsense is below the first post of every thread here. I guess I blended it too well. :scool:

You did not notice we do revenue sharing here also?

**Web Gazelle** · Jan 19th, 2008, 11:15 pm

But you don't need adsense when you have casino cash. :scool:

**zxpro168** · Jan 19th, 2008, 11:54 pm

"$10k/month is not a lot considering that some of that gets split with Revenue Sharing, and they have hardware and network expenses."

Yeah, I remember them asking for donations to buy a server. I can't remember the cost exactly but it was probably around $100,000. If DP was that profitable, they will not need to ask for donations.

*Sammie* · Jan 20th, 2008, 7:22 am

Originally Posted by zxpro168

"$10k/month is not a lot considering that some of that gets split with Revenue Sharing, and they have hardware and network expenses."

Yeah, I remember them asking for donations to buy a server. I can't remember the cost exactly but it was probably around $100,000. If DP was that profitable, they will not need to ask for donations.

would you pay 86,000 of your own money if you can get 64,000 from members?
Shawn might be stupid, he aint that stupid.

if every member of WTF donated $1 to me, it would solve all my money worries for the next 6 months

**Cyberbite** · Jan 20th, 2008, 11:54 am

Originally Posted by bbrian017

not much bandwidth at all, the forums are pretty much all text, forums don't really take up much bandwidth at all

I don't thank anyways haha

You would be surprised. Because every page of forum software is unique and it sends you a no-cache with the headers, that means you have to download the page each and every time. So you're not caching anything (except maybe the graphics). On top of that look at how many people are online at one time, this is from right now.

Currently Active Users: 2,322 (753 members and 1,569 guests) - View Map
Most users ever online was 8,172, Jan 17th 2008 at 10:16 pm.

There are over 2300 users only, and just 2 days ago they had over 8000 users online. That is some serious traffic. These people aren't just coming to look at a page, then leave. They are going from one thread to another. He is definitely using some serious bandwidth.

On top of that, to handle that amount of traffic, he's definitely not using a single server. I wouldn't doubt that he has more than a 1/2 dozen servers.

I'd be real interested to read something on his setup, since that's what I do. I built high availability clusters using load balanced Linux web servers, and load balanced MySQL clusters. The sites I built aren't forum style, and we're averaging around 30MBits/sec just for 1 of the sites. All total the group of sites that we manage, we're using over 150MBits/sec

Cyberbite added 2 Minutes and 8 Seconds later...

Originally Posted by zxpro168

"$10k/month is not a lot considering that some of that gets split with Revenue Sharing, and they have hardware and network expenses."

Yeah, I remember them asking for donations to buy a server. I can't remember the cost exactly but it was probably around $100,000. If DP was that profitable, they will not need to ask for donations.

He would be extremely stupid if he spent that all on a single server. He most likely bought a bunch of servers and set them up as a load balanced cluster.