Introduction to Banner Exchanges
As you've surfed the web,
you have noticed that some sites have banner ads on them. Those brightly colored, and
sometimes flashing graphics, which draw your attention to a service, site, or product, and
often beckon you to "click here".
In the beginning there was really only two ways to have your own banner ad displayed.
1. Pay to have your banner displayed on another site. Of course,
you must first do your research and find these sites, email them and make an agreement.
2. Make an agreement with another site to "swap" banners ("you
show mine, and I'll show yours").
Fortunately, somewhere along the line, a smart person decided that there was a
better way of doing this. You could set up a service, which, by signing up a large number
of sites, could automatically "swap" banners for all its members. And the
internet banner exchange was born.
Today, there are dozens of banner exchanges on the internet. And all
have the same sales pitch - We display your banners for FREE! Their services
do differ. And some have marked advantages over others.
Display Ratio / Ratio of exposure-
This is how many times you must display a banner on your site, before your
banner is displayed on someone else's site.
The most common ratio is 2:1 (this means you display 2 banners, your banner
get shown once). Income is earned for the exchange by selling the extra banner
showing. Many banner exchanges now have a variety of rates depending on where and
how you display their banners on your site.
A frequently encountered improvement on this ratio system is the High
Visibility deal. Simply put, if you put the banner right at the top (or very near the
top), of your site, so it is the most immediately seen feature on your site, the exposure
ratio will be tipped in your favor. One exchange offers a 10:9 ratio (show 10, get 9
shown).
Exchange Id, and links-
To help increase there business, most exchanges will incorporate their logo,
and/or a simple text link which leads to their home page. These are only very small
(usually), and are a small price to pay for free advertising.
Some exchanges now are giving the option of not having these on the banners
shown on your site. This is always a big plus, because it helps make your site look a
little bit cleaner. These exchanges rely on the good words of their customers, good
reviews, and good research to help enroll new customers.
Targeting-
Imagine if an archer were to fire the arrows at the target without aiming for
the bulls eye. Sure, some of time, the arrow would hit the mark, but 99% of the arrows
would be completely wasted.
This is what happens with your banner if it is not aimed at the right
audience. If you "know" what group, or demographic you are trying to induce to
your site, then this is a big help. If you don't know, you can just turn off the targeting
and wait to see which group has the best response to your banner. Then adjust your
targeting accordingly.
You will find several exchanges capable of displaying your banner on sites
geared to get you the best response possible. These sites typically cater to your
target market.
Statistics-
Its no good just throwing your ad "out there" and then ignoring it.
You need to know what's going, right? Well the statistics that the exchanges will provide
you with should (hopefully) answer your inquires about your banners journeys.
Some exchanges have serious stats overkill, completely swamping you with useless
"numbers look pretty" statistics. And others seem to give you almost nothing,
just telling you that, "Yes, your banner is 'out there'". But, thankfully, most
are a happy medium.
Some common statistics given are: Number of exposures - how many times
your banner has been shown: Site visited / Banner shown - how many times you have
shown other sites banners: Click throughs - the number of times your banner has
been clicked on: Click through ratio - compares your exposures to click throughs.
They will usually give you a few different "filters" to view them
through, and also give the option of resetting all the statistics (very handy if you've
altered your site and want to know if it makes a difference).
Purchasing Exposures-
Quite often, when you are getting started, and no-one knows about your site,
it might be necessary to purchase some exposures to get you rolling. Most banner exchange
networks now offer some kind of purchasing program, mainly because this is how they make
most of their money.
Do your research
Before you join any exchange make sure it provides you with all the services
you need, and also that you fully understand all its promises in relation to exposures and
display ratios, so you know exactly what you are getting.
Joining
Most banner exchanges use the same joining procedure.
(i) Read fully the terms of membership, and make sure you understand them. If
not email the exchange and get further information.
(ii) Fill in all the details that the joining form requires, such as; your
name, email address, site address, site category, the password you want to access account
information, and targeting information.
(iii) You may be given the option during the joining process to send them a
banner, if you have created it already. If you haven't created a banner, or they don't
give the option to send it, don't worry, your account will happily collect credits until
you submit a banner.
(iv) There may be a confirmation screen for the information you have entered;
check it, if all is well then proceed.
(v) You will be given the hypertext you need now, or be told where you will
find it. Most banner exchanges will send you an email as well, which will include your
account details, and the hypertext you need to display on your page.
(vi) Copy and Paste the hypertext into your web page (remembering any
requirement the exchange has about placement), and then you are finished.
This is the finish of the introduction to banner exchanges. To learn more, read about the banners themselves, and then continue onto the individual banner exchanges.
***************************
If you are interested in "How To" Information, I would suggest taking a look at Insider's Secrets Revealed below. It is an amazing collection. Take a minute and review the information. You will be glad you did.
