Internet Advertising; What you should know
The proliferation of the internet has made it possible for the average man woman and yes even child, to make money using the internet. It has never been easier or more confusing for that matter to get your message out there to the masses. Those with a good understanding of the internet and how to market effectively have a huge competitive advantage in getting qualified traffic to their sites. This is the purpose of this article. To educate the novice on how to drive qualified traffic to your site in the most cost effective manner possible. Here you will learn about several great options available to you as an internet marketer. I hope this information will be valuable to you and give you the information you need to succeed in your online business.
Pay Per Click (PPC) – Pay per click advertising is an effective avenue for driving qualified traffic to your website through text link ads displayed on websites with relative content to what you’re advertising. If you have ever surfed the internet you have probably seen these ads displayed on top of and on the right of search display results on major search engines. Pay Per Click ads can be expensive however and cost upwards of $1.50 to $4.50 per visitor and up. There is also a tremendous amount of Click Fraud where your competitors click on your ads costing you hundreds of dollars in fake traffic. This can deplete your account very quickly if you have shady competitors. Chances are if you use PPC you will be a victim of Click Fraud. Pay Per Click is a very popular option despite its fallbacks and is widely used by small E-Commerce websites trying to drive traffic to their sites.
Shopping Comparison Websites – There are several shopping comparison websites out there that allow consumers to browse through multiple ads from merchants selling the same model good, or the same type of goods. Chances are, if you’re the lowest price, you will get a lot of ready to buy buyers visiting your site. Shopping comparison websites use the same system that PPC companies use. You place a minimum and maximum bid on select keywords where your ad will be displayed next to your competitors. This type of advertising is great if you have a product that is competitively priced.
Classifieds and Forums Posting – Looking for free advertising? Classifieds and forums are perfect ways to drive targeted traffic to your website for free. How do you find free classifieds websites? It’s simple, search for “free classifieds websites” on any major search engine and you’ll find plenty of free places to post ads in. Forums are a little different and typically cannot be used for spamming or promotional advertisements. The best thing to do is to offer good advice on the products or services you sell and wait for people to email you or respond to your posts asking for more info. Give them a reason to contact you however.
Blogs – if your business doesn’t have a blog, get one and link your website to it. Blogs are very search engine friendly and offer a great way to give potential customers a way to connect with you and learn about what makes you different. Blogs can be an invaluable tool in attracting a following of loyal customers and readers who can turn into customers and repeat business.
Desktop Ad Impressions – One of the newest inventions in internet advertising is Desktop Ad Impressions. Not widely known, this is a great way to gain a competitive advantage over your competition. How does it work? Glad you asked. On every toolbar is a search field where people can type in a search query. Traditionally when someone types in a search query a list of websites pull up along with PPC Ads. With Desktop Ad Impressions, your website pops up in a minimized window when someone enters a search query that you have optimized on with your keywords. Unlike PPC Advertising, Desktop ads are much cheaper per visitor and generally only cost .12 cents all the way down to just .05 cents per visitor. Just like PPC, Desktop Ads provide very targeted traffic because the visitor has specifically searched for what you’re selling. What’s the downside? Desktop Ad Impressions can be cost prohibitive to some small budgets. Typically buy-ins run at least $1200 for 10,000 visitors. If you have the budget however it is a great advertising tool that is proving to be very effective for those who use it.
Social Networking – Having a MySpace or Facebook account isn’t just for the kids anymore. More and more businesses maintain a presence on social networking sites that allow them to market to specific demographics. It also allows companies to learn about their customers interests and gain a foothold with their friends. Social Networking has the potential to help launch a new product or promote a unique service in a way that can blossom and become “Viral” virtually overnight. If your company has a commercial or video campaigns social networking can be a great way to get free exposure that would normally cost you millions if you were to use conventional TV Advertising.
In closing, if you are serious about building a profitable business online, you need to examine all of your options and pick a medium that fits your budget and your experience level. This article has just barely skimmed the surface of whats available to you as a business owner. Keep looking for more articles about internet advertising and read everything you can to stay on top of changes in technology and new emerging advertising mediums. Good luck to you friend, and God bless.
Chris Kines