| Selling advertising can be your first step into | | | | of placing an ad with you in the first place. |
| monetizing your website. It will require a lot of | | | | Strengthen your site and put effort in building |
| work and some strategy but once you have it | | | | traffic. |
| going, you can literally sit back and enjoy incoming | | | | Remember that online, traffic builds reputation. |
| revenues. The trick is to ensure that you design | | | | The more traffic you have, the more reliable you |
| your business or website in such a way that lets | | | | are. And the better your reputation is, the more |
| you achieve steady sales from advertising. So | | | | you can charge for your ad placements. |
| whether you're managing a blog or selling an | | | | Understand the 'hot spots' on your website. |
| e-zine, it's important that you understand the | | | | Certain areas on your website are well |
| things you'll need to implement to help you | | | | sought-after real estate. Top center, top left and |
| maximize your business. Here's how: | | | | top right spots, for example, are prime locations |
| Define your niche or industry. | | | | for advertisers that want more exposure. You |
| Selling advertising means attracting advertisers | | | | could sell these ad spots for a higher price and sell |
| that have a specific industry. The industry you'll be | | | | other locations for a lower fee. It's part of your |
| involved in will also affect how many advertisers | | | | advertisers' promotional strategies to choose their |
| will want to buy ad placements on your site and | | | | ads carefully, whether yours is a website, a |
| how much you can charge. Technology, gaming | | | | newsletter or an e-zine. |
| and personal finance, for example, are just a few | | | | Vary your charges. Offer textual ads, text link |
| of the industries that let you charge higher fees. | | | | ads, graphics and animation. The more attractive |
| Find out who your website attracts. Who are the | | | | and strategically located your ads are, the higher |
| people who visit your site, participate in your | | | | fees advertisers should pay for them. A reminder, |
| surveys and games or leave comments on your | | | | though: you can only charge high rates if your site |
| forum or discussion boards? You'll get a pretty | | | | has industry, 'juice', recognizability or influence. |
| good idea of the type of advertisers you'll draw in | | | | Otherwise, you'll have to build your rep first or sell |
| by knowing your audience. Furthermore, niche or | | | | ads at low rates. You can then increase that rate |
| industry-specific sites have better staying power | | | | later on. |
| than general-interest sites. That is, unless you find | | | | If you're still confused about ad positions, visit |
| a way to become the dominant site. | | | | other websites with similar content such as yours |
| Build a strong traffic to your site. | | | | and find out how they design and place their ads. |
| Remember Greg Kinnear's character in the movie | | | | Show your potential advertisers where the |
| 'Lil' Miss Sunshine'? He desperately wanted to sell a | | | | goodies are. |
| seminar about winning but was not exactly living | | | | When you begin selling advertising, put up ad |
| up to his own standards. The same is true when | | | | blocks to indicate free spaces on your site or |
| you're selling advertising. Trying to get people to | | | | e-zine. Then advertise them by letting your |
| buy space on your website when it is essentially a | | | | advertisers know they are available. Place signs |
| non-entity is useless and ineffective. Why would | | | | such as 'Your Ad Here' or 'This Could Be Your Ad' |
| people want to do business with you and of all | | | | and include a link to a landing page where they |
| the websites they can place ads with, why should | | | | can e-mail you for details. |
| they pick yours? | | | | Customer service is highly recommended. |
| Look at how well-established your website is. If | | | | Regardless of what the main purpose of your |
| you were an advertiser, would you pay to place | | | | website is, once you start selling advertising, you |
| cheap ads on a website that receives only 100 | | | | will be doing business with people. Take care of |
| hits a day or would you rather buy more | | | | your advertisers and offer consistent customer |
| expensive placements from a website that gets | | | | service. Make ordering your ads simple and |
| 10,000 visitors daily? If you have a strong | | | | efficient. Offer several payment options (credit |
| following, the ads that will be placed on your site | | | | card, Paypal, online checks, etc.). Then top it off |
| have a much better chance of getting noticed by | | | | with great customer relations. |
| more people, which is your advertiser's purpose | | | | |