Going Beyond Banner Advertising
by: R.M. Blackledge
A major stumbling block for many internet marketing newbies
is the false belief that the placement of a banner ad on a web page is all
that's required to immediately start making a few sales. This is a false
premise.
There are a couple of key principles of internet marketing that can prevent any
newbie from
falling into this enticing trap.
No. 1) Choose A Relevant Affiliate Program
Let's hope at least that as a newbie you have chosen an affiliate program to
promote that has
relevance to your online interests. As an example, if you have placed a website
online that
discusses the care of young infants, it is certainly easy enough to find
affiliate programs that
deal with infant health, nutrition, clothing, or even security, such as baby
monitors.
The affiliate program doesn't have to exactly match your website content, but it
should be very
closely related. If your site is about infants why on earth would you want to
promote rock videos?
Only perhaps, if you think your own child is a future musical prodigy.
Yet, many first-time internet entrepreneurs make just such a mistake. Even an
affiliate program
that deals with teens or preschoolers is not close enough, because the people
coming to
your site, presumably are not seeking information about those subjects.
Tiny infants are not preschoolers.
Of course you might make a sale or two, by virtue of blind luck, but that is not
the way to run an
internet business.
You want at all times to be lean and focused. Don't waste effort promoting
anything that is going
to be a hard sell. Your effort is best spent elsewhere.
No. 2 ) Write Informative Articles and Testimonials
Using the same example above, let us propose that you have wisely chosen an
affiliate program
that relates to young infants. Now what? You've had your banners up for a month
or two, and you
just aren't making many sales. This despite the fact that your site receives a
reasonable amount
of traffic.
One of the problems you've unwittingly created for yourself, is that banner ads
are too easily
ignored. They are like background music. Each hour online, anyone who surfs the
web is going to
be bombarded with banner ads, such that they become invisible. And it doesn't
matter even if the
banner ads are of excellent quality.
They are still banner ads.
Text-based ads are a much more effective advertising method, although at first
glance it would
seem exactly the opposite.
But, let's look at this idea more closely.
Banner ads say out loud that you're attempting to sell something. One of the
major precepts of
internet marketing is that people DO NOT WANT TO BE SOLD. People are online to
gather
knowledge. Even if they are online as a time for recreation and pleasure, they
are still interested
in learning.
Human beings are innately curious. This is a plus for you, as you attempt to
make a sale.
Here's how.
One way to introduce text-ads into your web site is to write articles. Or to
write a review of the
very product that you're trying to sell. { you aren't trying to market something
you haven't
purchased yourself, are you? }
Testimonials are an extremely effective advertising device. That's why so many
web merchants
place testimonials on their site, and frequently on the very first page of the
site, where the
testimonials are most likely to be viewed.
Also, testimonials are a form of "aggressive" advertising, that doesn't look
aggressive at all. This
is because testimonials deliver valuable information to the consumer. Thus, the
consumer is more
likely to make a purchase because they never form the negative impressive in
their mind, that they
are being SOLD something.
A person who is feeling negative is much less likely to decide to make a
purchase.
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One final point before we conclude this article. Banner ads are not going to
disappear. They can
still serve a useful purpose. Sometimes a banner ad or two, can help dress-up a
drab,
uninspired-looking site. You don't want your website to resemble a plain white
term paper.
A little sizzle is okay. But, NEVER let banner ads be your main advertising
method.
Also, if every other affiliate is using the same banner ads, then the impactof
the ads on your site
will be further lessened. The key to online marketing success is to be unique.
Online, as opposed
to the offline world, uniqueness is an endearing trait.
Don't plaster those same ads all over your pages everyone else in your marketing
niche is using.
Write your own articles. The customer will become comfortable that you know what
you are
talking about. This gives them a reason to return. { a key factor as people
rarely make a purchase
the first time they ever visit a website. }
Stay on your toes, don't become complacent, and never miss an opportunity to
improve the content,
relevance, and usefulness of your site. If you have a thought or an idea about
something. Then
place it online. You're always more likely to receive a click-through from a
well-written
informative article than from some flashy banner ad. Give the customer more of
what they want,
without trying to sell them.
That is the simple key to increasing the overall marketing effectiveness of your
website.
R.M.B.
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Resource Box:
R.M. Blackledge is the owner of TheWorkAtHomeBlog.Com.
Additional articles and important, up-to-date home business
news and information is available almost daily at the following url:
http://theworkathomeblog.com/index.html
contact: http://theworkathomeblog.com/contact.html
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About the Author
R.M. Blackledge is the owner of TheWorkAtHomeBlog.Com and is the publisher of
numerous business and self-help articles.
