Profit From Advertisements: 1 2 3
Ad Sources - Affiliate Networks
When you are initially starting out, carefully selecting targeted ads to promote from the major affiliate networks can be a valuable resource. Advertisers are nicely categorized to simplify the process of making targeted choices, payments are handled in an orderly fashion by a 3rd party, and it is not typically difficult to be accepted into the programs of the advertisers you wish to promote. Here is a list of several of the most popular networks:
| Affiliate Networks: | |
| Commission Junction | ClickBank |
| Share-a-Sale | Web Sponsors |
| Affiliate Fuel | onResponse |
| DirectLeads | BeFree |
Also some listings of networks and standalone programs can found at AssociatePrograms.com, AffiliateGuide.com, Refer-It.com, and Google Directory - Affiliate Networks, as well as many others.
Ad Sources - Personal Contacts
Many of the networks are fairly good. However, most of my successful ads in recent times are not from the major ad networks, but rather from personal contacts I've made throughout the years. People I met years ago who were just starting out or had a bit of a head-start on me are now CEOs, owners of networks of high-traffic sites, etc. The same could apply to some of the people you meet in your day-to-day business online... you never know! For instance you might offer your free assistance to them in some way that you specialize in where they are lacking. The kindnesses you show to them while they are more accessible to you (at the start) may very well be remembered and rewarded by them at some point in the near or distant future.
If the quality and usefulness of your site is exceedingly high, you may even experience advertisers making personal inquiries wishing to advertise on your site. Prepare for this possibility by considering the fair rates you would charge in such a scenario.
Assess Your Audience
You wouldn't try selling investment advice to young children, or diet pills to a marathon runner - right? If you don't know and understand your audience (the type of people who tend to visit your particular type of site) then you have no way of knowing what kind of offers you can make to them that would actually be effective. The best way to learn about the people that visit your site is to ask them. You can start by installing a simple CGI or PHP survey script (many of which you can find for free on sites such as HotScripts.com) or if you don't know how or are unable to install scripts for your site, there are services that will, for free or at a price, host surveys for you. An alternative or addition to surveys, is to have a special "exclusive" section on your site which requires the visitor to signup to get free access. You could also host a contest or giveaway of some sort. In the signup form, be sure to collect and catalog the information (for your own personal use of course - not to be sold to other parties). What kind of information should you collect? Be sure to at least find out their age, gender, and geographic location, and if possible see if you can learn anything about their interests, job, or hobbies. Your goal should be to understand who they are and what they are like. Another aspect to keep in mind is that you should NOT choose ads that you are interested in - use what you will have learned about your audience to choose ads that "they" will be interested in. Another benefit of being able to provide statistics about your audience to potential advertisers, is an increase in the chances that advertisers will want to do business with you.
Tip: If the data you collect reveals that the bulk of your audience is made up of people under the age of 18, you should probably not promote advertisers that would require the person to "buy" something. Why? They generally don't have much money... and if they do and are willing to make a purchase, they probably don't have a way to spend it remotely on the internet (i.e. a credit card). Advertisers who offer you a commission based on signups/leads, clicks, or views of their ads will probably be most effective in this case. However since the commissions for such advertisers are generally meager, you will need greater volume (more visitors) in order to make as much as a smaller number of sales would have provided.
Stay Focused
It's best if you concentrate your efforts on promoting a small selection of highly targeted advertisers. You may be tempted to try out slews of the potentially-lucrative ads that may come your way... but doing so will only end up overrunning your site, making it look and feel cheap to your visitors. Take the time to test and discover a modest collection of ads that will work best for you, and focus your energy on them.
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