A penny for your thoughts
Before you dust off your gavel and condemn me for my choices, I kindly request that you lend me your ear for a moment. You see, I have reasons—what I believe to be valid ones—for taking this approach. I remain hopeful that, in the not-too-distant future, I'll be able to bid adieu to a generous portion of the ads you're currently faced with on this site. Perhaps not all, but certainly a considerable amount. In the spirit of openness, allow me to explain my rationale behind running ads.
The price of virtual real estate
While it might not be a jaw-dropping revelation to the technologically inclined, maintaining a website is not a gratis endeavour. The annual expenses for the domain name, WordPress theme, and essential plugins can quickly add up. Although I host a few other websites on my VPS, the costs are still a reality.
As I pour my spare time into researching and crafting content for Home Assistant Guide, I'd rather not squander my hard-earned cash alongside the countless hours invested in the project. My humble goal is to cover the hosting and domain expenses—at least in a favourable month.
Investing in the future, for you
Looking ahead, I dream of a day when I can purchase smart home hardware solely to review it for you, the valued visitor of this site. Rest assured, any revenue generated by the website will be channelled into such endeavours, making it a worthwhile investment for all involved.
No direct profit from Home Assistant
I'd like to emphasize that I'm not earning any money directly from Home Assistant, nor do I have any intentions to do so. I don't sell Home Assistant-related products, such as preloaded Raspberry Pis, nor do I trade in code or add-ons. Not only that, but I also disapprove of the practice of repackaging an open-source product for profit, as seen in some controversial cases.
What I do offer are guides and reviews, penned with care and attention. The ads placed on this website serve as a modest compensation for the time and effort invested in creating this content.
Not a fan of ads, either
In all honesty, I share your distaste for ads. They disrupt the reading experience and bring unwanted tracking baggage along. To counter this issue, I've turned to affiliate links as an alternative, linking to products on Amazon or AliExpress. By using these links, I earn a modest commission on each purchase, without any additional cost to you.
Once the income from affiliate links sufficiently covers my expenses, I plan to gradually phase out ads from my articles. I'm particularly keen on removing in-article ads, as they pose the most significant nuisance for readers. If you'd like to support this endeavour, please consider using the affiliate links found in my articles. Your help is greatly appreciated!