Traffic Strategies

The effectiveness of banner exchanges is a controversial issue among online marketers. Some say it doesn't work at all, some say it works a little bit, and some swear by it...others swear at it.

I say that every little bit helps. If you take the time to list your site in the search engines, you may as well invest a little time in banner exchanges. It doesn't take much time or effort to put a banner on your web pages.

There are two types of banner exchanges. Banner exchange programs and private banner exchanges. Both are discussed in the following two pages.

You can also purchase banner ad space on websites...I've never met a website owner that was against earning money. Many sites advertise the fact that they will host your banner,
others don't. If you find a site that doesn't state whether or not they will host your banner for a price, contact the owner of the site and ask.

Prices for banner ad space vary from site to site. The way prices are determined also differs. Some site owners charge by page views, others charge a flat rate. Some charge a certain price for the position of your banner on the page, such as the top of the page, middle or bottom. These are just questions you will have to ask the site owner.

Of course, prices for high traffic sites will be higher than the prices charged by medium traffic sites..and you, of course, don't want to buy ad space on low traffic sites.

When you pay for banner advertisement, you should ask to see the web site owners stats report. If they don't want to fill that request, you don't want to do business with them. Just because you see a page counter that says that the page has had over a million hits, doesn't mean that it actually did. Counters can be adjusted to say whatever the site owner wants them to say. It goes the same way when a site owner claims to have over 50,000 hits a month...you don't know that for sure unless you see the stats.

When you purchase ad space for your banner, you should check at least every other day, during the period you paid for, to be sure that your banner is in the place that was agreed to. It is also wise to have a written contract with the site owner, stating exactly what it is that you are paying for.

Click here for Banner Exchange Programs

Click here for Banner Design Secrets

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