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Web Site Promotion – Online

Obviously, if you are doing business online you probably should look into advertising online. Afterall, if you take your business seriously enough to go online then you probably view the internet as a worthy source of potential revenue as well. Here we will look into some of the methods by which you may want to advertise online.

Banner Ads

When purchasing or placing a banner ad it is of utmost importance that you consider carefully where you place them. Do you want a variety of different people or do you want to target a certain type of person? If you want a broad range of people to see your ad you may want to place it on a search engine. This would give you high traffic yet attract a very general audience. To reach targeted audiences you may want to find a content site that is appropriate to your market or topic. These usually charge based on cost per thousand impressions or CPM and range toward $50 USD.

Ad Networks

By joining an ad network your ad will be placed on many websites by the ad network company. A great example of this is ValueClick (www.valueclick.com). A real benefit to joining an ad network is that you will also get real-time feedback about how your ad campaigns are doing! You can then get some valuable information upon which to decide how to better leverage your advertising.

Banner Exchanges

With a banner exchange program your banner is placed on a site in exchange for a banner being placed on yours. To join a banner exchange you usually have to qualify by having your site meet certain criteria in order to be accepted. Once accepted the exchange provider will send you code to place in your website pages that will display various ads. Be careful in selecting a banner exchange provider as you may not have control over the type of ads that display on your site. If the provider doesn't have any clear resrtictions on the type of banners allowed in the program you never know what may pop up on your site from the exchange.

Banner Trading

Banner trading is a more hands on and direct way to get your banner on a website. With this method you find a website that you feel would cater to your target market. You then email the owner of the site with details about your website and a proposal to exchange the placment of a banner ad on each others website. Include items such as where you will place the ad on your site and reasons you think the exchange would be beneficial to both of you. Be sure to check regularly to ensure that your banner has not been removed from the other site for the duration of the agreed upon time period.

Google AdWords

Another way to reach targeted audiences is to purchase Google AdWords. This is a cost-per-click program. You create your ad and choose keywords. When someone does a Google search on your keyword your ad will appear on the right side of the search page. You pay only when someone clicks on your ad. You can also set a maximum price for an individual keyword or a group of keywords so that you do not blow your budget. Believe it or not the setup price for this is only $5 USD.

Now get to work and try some of these methods. Here's to your future online success!

Reference

Sweeney, Susan 2001. 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. Gulf Breeze, FL: Maximum Press.

 

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