We have been using ad rotate manager for quite a while and the impressions stats for ads in our header block and sidebar have always been consistent. But now the header block stats have really dropped off. We use the ad rotate widget in the sidebar and custom ad code with the shortcode in the header block.
Our google analytics show the traffic has been consistent over a period of time and can’t work out the inconsistency between the two figures.
I’ve attached a screen shot of 3 ads uploaded on the same date and you can see the difference in views.
If it worked correctly before, try to see what changed on your website that may cause the change.
For example if you’ve installed new plugins or shifted ad placements around.
If those newer templates use PHP files you may want to switch to using PHP snippets instead of shortcodes – It’s the same underlying code, but less layers to get what you want is usually better.
I’m not sure if I am doing this correctly but here is how I tried.
I used a plugin to convert php snippet to shortcode eg <?php echo adrotate_group(10); ?> which converted to [wpcode id=”14407″] and inserted that into header template but nothing was displayed on page, the usual [adrotate group=”10″] displays ok.
Does that look right? Is that the right php snippet or should I put it straight into theme?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time so far.
I have no idea what you’re trying to do, or why you’d use a PHP snippet through a shortcode converter. But if the default shortcodes work fine then just use that.
The shortcodes do work but the stats were not picking up and you suggested using php snippets instead of shortcodes. I’m not exactly sure where to use the php snippet, where to place the code?
I put the short code in the theme ad box, add custom code.
PHP snippets go in your theme files.
Both the shortcode and PHP snippet essentially do the same – So there is no point in converting the PHP snippet to a shortcode.
If you want your ads in the header and you have a way to do that via the dashboard -> Shortcode.
If you’re editing a theme file for it -> PHP Snippet.
But since you mentioned that the AdRotate Shortcode works fine, you can just use that 🙂
Thanks for that, the shortcodes do work fine with the placement of ads, in the header, sidebar etc but it’s just the stats on the ads that we are trying to get to the bottom of, why the numbers don’t seem to match with our website traffic.
I think I’ll contact the theme developers next to see what they say.
That’s very unlikely to be related to the use of shortcodes, PHP snippets or other placement methods.
It’s far more likely a cache or some other change on your site that’s hindering things.
If you use caching, try clearing it see if stats go up for a while. Or investigate the change in your theme, you mentioned that it uses new templates. Maybe the ad simply doesn’t show anymore, or in different places because the templates work differently.
On the chemical website we have 9 ads, 4 in a group in the header, 2 in a group in the sidebar and 2 single sidebar ads. The 2 single sidebars ads get roughly 1500 impressions a day but the ads in the groups get double digit views, about 100 impressions in total, should that total be closer to 1500?
The eastanglia site has 3 single ads 1 in the header, 1 in the sidebar and 1 in the main body and they all return different values.
