9 Tips to Evaluate Online Advertising Options

 

Are you at a point at which you want to advertise your company on the Internet? But you’re unsure which sites are the best for you?

The options are endless and can be confusing. The last thing you want to do is to market a product or service that doesn’t reach the right people.

Savvy media buyers verify the representations of the advertising salesperson because there are a lot of criterions to keep in mind. It’s important to consider numerous metrics for due diligence in online media buying.

Here are nine considerations in order to choose the best site for you to insert your ads:

1. Reputation – Are you comfortable with the site’s image? Is it an authoritative Web site where serious journalism is practiced? If you sell big-ticket products or services, a major media site is often a safe choice. That’s my preference but others might be better for your objectives.

You’ll want to advertise on a site with a solid foundation for a long-term advertising partnership. In this way, you’ll get many years of preferential treatment and a better return on your investment.

2. Site’s focal point and content – You can carefully read the site’s content to see if it’s compatible with your marketing targets.

3. Keyword analysis – Figure out if the site’s key words are similar to yours by using a custom Google search.

4. Check the site’s advertisers – Look for the right signs. For example, if you’re concerned about maintaining a sophisticated image, you’ll want to make sure the other ads won’t embarrass your company. In other words, if the advertisers aren’t compatible with you, such as a consumer debt-lawyer, you might not want readers to cast you in the same light.

Also, check to see if the other advertisers are aimlessly targeting a vastly different readership.

5. Evaluate the site’s search-engine optimization results – Even though you’ve checked the site’s use of keywords, assess its prominence. The site should be No. 1 on the search-engine’s first page of results.

You should check its Google Page Rank (PR), which is determined by such factors as the site’s age, relevant value and quality, freshness of content and download speed, etc.

If you’re a small advertiser in a highly specialized niche, a PR of 3 (on a scale of 1 to 10) might be acceptable. But if you have a more aggressive goal with a bigger budget to invest on an authoritative media site, look for a PR of 6 or higher.

6. Assess how the site promotes itself – Is the site up-to-date on use of social media? Look for the sharing buttons for readers to use such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

7. Volume of ads on each page – Make sure your ad wouldn’t be buried in a massive clutter of advertisers. Ask about the site’s ad-volume policy.

8. Check to see if the site sells ad space via networks – Make sure the majority of the site’s ads don’t have an “AdChoices” icon in the upper right corner. The icon means that the site makes ad space available to ad networks.

In which case, the site usually doesn’t get paid unless readers click on the ads. This means you can buy ad space very inexpensively and indirectly through a network instead.

9. Look for the link to the site’s advertising information – Publishers usually have an information page for advertisers. If it’s prominent and easily spotted that’s a bad sign. It means the site has a lopsided focus to attract advertisers, instead of focusing on the desires of its users.

By using these nine tips, you’ll be able to arrive at a decision that’s best for you.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are more advertising topics:

• Tips, Plus Why it’s Never Too Early to Plan for Q4 E-commerce
• Tips To Get Top Results From Your Marketing Plan
• Why B2B Marketers Like Content Marketing – Study

The three key rules of marketing are brand recognition, brand recognition, brand recognition.

 

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.