Category: Website Promotion

Newsgroups Can Boost Your Traffic featured newsgroup portals and services >>> Newsgroups have been a part of the internet since a time near its inception. With the web a medium initially dedicated to the unobstructed sharing of information, these open, topical discussion areas became a consistent and popular form of exchange. As the popularity of the internet grew, so did the number of news and discussion groups. Today, there are literally thousands of individual groups, moderated by those dedicated to a specific topic, intended to provide a place for continued sharing on a subject of interest. With the general increase in popularity experienced by the internet, newsgroup populations also began to soar. With this growth came the need for rules intended to govern newsgroup users everywhere, maintaining an efficient, respectful, and information oriented environment, not overun by abusive individuals, or marketing crazed online business operators. One of the primary rules established by most newsgroup areas is the refusal to accept purely commercial postings. This does not leave the business operator out in the cold in these areas. It simply defines your role as a contributor first, business operator second. In most newsgroup areas, a signature file denoting your business name and/or location is considered appropriate, as long as the intent of the message posting is to respond to, or generate conversation on a topic related to the newsgroup’s overall purpose. Utilizing these areas of topical sharing can provide a means for you to establish yourself as an expert within your field of specialization. If done correctly, and within the parameters set by the newgroup founders and/or moderators, this tool can serve to bring substantial increases in site awareness and visitation. There are innumerable newsgroup locations across the web. Discussion groups today can incorporate site based posting of commentary, or email exchange lists focused on a topic of interest. Finding the most popular, heavily trafficked groups within specific areas of interest can take some investigation. In the end, spending the time to locate, then effectively participate in these groups will prove to be a worthwhile effort. The newsgroup portals listed below should be of assistance in beginning your research in this area. Usenet.com Google Groups Yahoo Groups Topica.com   Related Subjects: Internet Marketing – Pay Per Click Engines Web Site Promotion Through Partnerships     back to top

Keyword Advertising for Web Site Promotion featured pay per click search engines >>> As the demand for targeted and effective advertising venues continues to grow, so does the ability of service providers to institute ads directed at very specific markets. Keyword bidding is commonly related to the growing pay per click, or pay per placement search engines, but there exist marketing opportunities that allow for the placement of ads, text based or otherwise, that are sourced only during specific keyword queries. The value inherent in these advertising options is strongly dependant upon your ability to correctly target, and communicate with your market. One provider of such a service is Google Adwords. Achieving a listing is very similar in nature to pay per click based keyword bidding, with the exception that the end result is a text based ad to the right of the usual search results relative. Payment for services is based upon the positioning of your ad, which is dependant upon the number of advertisers who have chosen to associate with that keyword. Google will even generate an estimate of costs associated with specific keywords, based upon previous search volumes for that term. As in all ad based marketing efforts, the copy of your advertisement can play a strong role in its overall click through rate, and thus its effectiveness in promoting your property. Take the time to carefully develop your ad, and be willing to experiment with different ads to allow for some response rate comparisons. To access some of the available keyword based advertising services, simply click on a link below to begin your research: Google Adwords   Related Subjects: Internet Marketing – Link Exchanges for Popularity Online’s Pay Per Click Directory     back to top

Banner Advertising and Exchange featured banner exchanges and networks >>> In recent years, banner advertising has experienced a plunge in popularity. The reasons for this shift in advertising interest was simple – banner advertising was not delivering on its initial promise to draw hoards of traffic, and the costs then associated did not reflect the true value of the medium. This is not to say that banner advertising has gone the way of the dinosaur. Certainly, there are other means that have proven to be more effective, with higher pricing that reflects that value, but banner advertising continues to offer an opportunity to introduce and brand your product within your target market. It’s ongoing prevalence in the marketplace is a clear indicator of its potential. The key to the creation of a successful and reasonable campaign is to ensure that the expenditure involved reflects the actual bottom line impact the advertising will have. When reviewing a potential banner ad campaign, be it through an advertising network, or within a site complimentary to your line, take care to assess the package thoroughly, breaking down costs to an expected price per delivered visitor. This can be accomplished by utilizing a conversion rate from impressions to visits of about .5%. Some campaigns can deliver returns as high as 1%, but in assessment of a marketing expense, it always pays to play it safe. Once you have determined an approximate cost per visitor, compare that cost to achieving traffic through pay per click search engines, based on the current bids for keywords relevant to your product and/or service. If you find value in the offer, take care to develop a banner that draws the attention of your market, as design can make the difference between a profitable campaign, and yet another wasted expediture. Banner exchanges offer an additional opportunity for the internet business owner to create awareness, at no cost. These common systems vary in their offering, but generally guarantee the site owner willing to place the banners of other operators on their site a ratio of 1:2, or one of your banners shown elsewhere in exchange for deliverying two impressions at your property. Though a cost efficient manner of generating some exposure, banner exchanges have their negative side as well. Many systems have insufficient controls, which can result in direct competitors actually gaining exposure on your site. As well, there is a sense among those experienced with internet business that users of an exchange program are "small time", which can later impact your ability to negotiate effective partnership agreements. As a means of introducing you to this medium, Online has gathered samples of banner related programs for your review. Click on a link below to explore further: Banner Advertising Networks Sponsorships.net Microsoft AdStore ValueClick.com AdOutlet.com Banner Exchange Programs Bpath Banner Exchange BannerAddict.com LinkBuddies.com Microsoft Banner Network Don’t forget to explore additional niche market site sponsorship opportunities listed by property genre, in our Site Sponsorship Directory. Click below to view some of the opportunities available in this growing medium, or consider submitting your site’s advertising opportunity for the consideration of our visitors.   Related Subjects: Online’s web site sponsorship directory Content sharing as a means of promotion     top of banner advertising page