Advertising Online 101

In today’s economy individuals and businesses are going for the more for less option and trying to keep the less to an extreme minimum. Online advertising, though it has changed the face of advertising is not very different to conventional advertising that we are all used to. The basic principles are the same if you think about it, paid ad placement on search engines, 3rd party websites etc. are much like placing an ad in the Sunday newspaper or classified at any given day. With services becoming cheaper everyday and the people becoming more tech savvy, placing an ad online has become quite simple.

If you’re a small business that feels the need to get out there and ride the wave along with everyone else, the following tips might help you without going into the details of TRP’s and GRP’s or employing the services of advertising agencies which can increase your cost.

• Be clear on what you want

This is an important step, know what you want. The internet is an infinite space where you can reach millions of potential customers. This can be good and also extremely confusing for those who are new to the online advertising phenomenon. Knowing what you want to put out there will help you streamline your process and save money.  You should decide on who you are targeting, Segmenting the market is key! Be relevant and be firm!

When you start search the web for possible sources to advertise on, it can lead to A LOT of possible and potential places but which of those attract the kind of people you want to get noticed by? That is the question that you should ask yourself. The key is to get the best possible web estate possible. Choose web sites which will project your business in the right context.

There are millions of web sites catering to every imaginable topic you can think off, choose the web sites which are closest to your business category and buy web estate there. High quality sites with a lot of traffic are more likely to get you the kind of results you are hoping for.

• What’s your budget?

Having a budget in mind is extremely important. One major reason for this is so that you know your options. Since you’re advertising online there are a multitude of options available to you but what comes in your budget? Do you have the resources to advertise on popular web portals like MSN, Yahoo, Google? This is untargeted advertising which is quite expensive but has a limitless reach.

Some cheaper yet effective options to consider are:

1. Keyword Advertising

2. Banner or button ads

3. e-Newsletters

4. Social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc.)

• The look and feel

When designing online ads it’s important to know the generic sizes that web sites offer web estate in. The general sizes that work best are banners and buttons which are accepted everywhere. The more unconventional sizes like leader boards and skyscrapers  are likely not to be accepted in most places as they take up too much space.

The conventional 125 x 125 and 350 x 250 pixels buttons and the 468 x 60 pixels banner can be placed easily on any site. There are more sizes available but it’s best to stick to the most commonly used ones. All these ads can be in jpeg, gif or flash.

You will have to make sure that you have the banner designed or make it yourself so you can send it to the advertiser when its time to set things up. If you do not know the basics of graphic design, it’s best to hire a professional to do it for you. This may cost you some additional money but will ensure quality. An amazing ad which is cool and out of the box can attract attention, motivate and close a deal! Hire a freelancer to do it for you.

• Final summation

Don’t get shocked and amazed at the number of clicks on your ad or on the website you are advertising on. The most important part are the page views. These define how many people are seeing your ad. Page views can turn into leads and eventually sales.

Remember once you get your ad online, it’s just a matter of time! The purpose of advertising it to keep your brand fresh in the minds of the people, Top of mind recall, product/service information and becoming a lead are more important than the actual click through rate on your ad.

Tags: ad, Advertising, advertising agencies, Banner, budget, Business, business category, Don, estate, grp, infinite space, money, Online, party websites, quality sites, search, search engines, social media, space, techsavvy, trp, web, web estate

Category: Marketing