Okay, I've taken all of your comments to heart and made some changes
to the site. In place of all the sidebar advertisements, I've listed
the most recent site updates. I will keep some advertisements, the
special timed promotions with specific affiliate sites, below the
updates for the reader's benefit. I've also removed the Amazon DVD
best-seller ad from the bottom of the main page.

But I won't budge on the banner ads. These are going to be used by the
companies in pushing specific anime releases. Right now it's retailer
ads, and depending on promotions I'll probably keep a few in the
rotation. Sorry, but companies do value this high-profile real estate
and I'm planning on giving it to them...

I will move ads to a separate affiliate page, and have the
advertisements listed there if anyone is interested in making a
purchase. This way they aren't in the reader's face and clutter every
page.

So it seems like that was the big complaint everyone had with the
site, and now that it's been cleaned up from 15 ads down to 4 (five if
you count the Alexa link, but that's just for a toolbar), what does
everyone think about it? I'm still trying to tap the knowledge of the
die-hard anime fanbase to provide reviews of future US releases and
unlicensed productions in the US, so please feel free to contribute.

Thanks again for the comments. I've got a couple more additions to the
site I want to work on, so keep an eye out for them - including two
January contests!

Jeremy

"Fata Morgana" <nunyabidnessfool@hotmail.comNOSPAM> wrote in message news:<#fyKR2ZoCHA.2028@cpimsnntpa03>...
> "Professional-looking"? Wow, which sites have you been visiting?  The most
> professional looking sites I've ever seen either have a minimal amount of
> banner ads, or none at all.  See: http://www.amazon.com,
> http://www.gearhost.com/ (never buy hosting from them, by the way; I often
> use thier site as inspiration for writing HTML, but their service is
> deplorable), http://www.tokyopop.com/, http://www.big-big-truck.com/
> 
> Banner ads don't make your site professional looking.  In my eyes, when a
> site has too many banner ads the first thought to come to my mind
> is"amateurish."  Better to have no graphics, or a minimal of graphics (Like
> Big-Big-Truck) than to use banner ads.  Remember, when it comes to web
> design: less is more.  Content is the place where you're supposed to be
> excessive. :)
> 
> Fata Morgana