The challenge faced by most website owners is not when to begin advertising, but HOW to begin the process. Who do you speak to? How much do you charge? How large should the ads be? Where do I even place the ads?!

Depending on the type of your site, advertising can also put off many viewers who are tired of being marketed to. How do you strike the balance between fulfilling the costs of maintaing the site (server, maintenance, content, personal expenditures, etc.) and running a site which provides quality information?

We’ll cover that last question in another post (sorry).

Beginning the process of advertising and turning your website into a money generating machine is much like starting a business.

So, without further adieu:

1) How are you going to run advertisements on your site?

If your site is 100% managed (such as all of our clients), you don’t have to worry about this issue at all. However, if your site isn’t managed then you should look into the following:

- Open X (http://www.openx.org/): Turn-key open source solution for advertising management.

- Advertising Manager (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/advertising-manager/): This is a great plugin to manage all your advertisements straight from your WordPress backend.

- Are you on a Windows server and need an advertising platform? Our solution: Get off your Windows server and switch to Linux.

2) What size ads are you going to use?

Your ads shouldn’t intrude on the content, otherwise what good are the ads if they’re just a turn off for your visitors? The Interactive Advertising Bureau is the regulator of all ad standards on the web, and they have ad sizes down to the pixel (if you don’t know what a pixel is you should probably hire an agency to do your ads). Just about any professional website you visit on the web will adhere to these guidelines even though they aren’t binding. Click here to learn about their assortment of sizes and best practices.

3) How much should you charge?

Ahh… a post of it’s own. Click here to learn about this tricky subject.

4) How do I market my ads?

You need a page on your website dedicated towards selling your advertising space. It should include (not in this order): how many hits you receive on a daily basis, why advertising on your site is profitable for their product or brand, what your website is about, who visits your website, size and costs of ads, what files you accept, method of payment, and lastly a closing sales pitch.

Writing the above takes expertise and should definitely be written in what’s known as ‘sales copy’. Like any call to action, your page should tell potential advertisers that they’ll receive the best bang for their buck on YOUR website and that it’s very simple to get started.

5) How do I reach out?

Start by sending out a mass e-mail to your family, friends and associates. Let the word trickle out and place an ad on your website to let visitors know you’re accepting advertisements. You won’t fill up all your slots overnight and it could even take several months, but if your website is good, you’re getting good hits, and the advertising process is simple… you’ll be just fine.

When you’re ready to start advertising make sure your website is in perfect order. Would you advertise on a billboard where half the lights are working and it slants a little to the left?

If you have any questions or would like for us to review your advertisement page (complimentary), please feel free to give us a call at (713) 344-1108 or e-mail us at info@renaya.com.

Happy advertising!

What about [direct advertising] pricing? Are there any good ballpark price structures? What do we base rates on?

As soon as a blogger decides to play with direct advertising, the question of “how much to charge” emerges. If you charge too much, you might end up with no advertisers at all. If you charge too little, on the other hand, you will be leaving money on the table.

Unfortunately, as Brian wonders, there are no standard pricing structures across the Internet. You will need to take a look around, do some research, and experiment on your own site to find the rates that will maximize your revenues.

That being said, that are some methods that you can use to draw an initial price tag, and some specific places where you can look to cross check the numbers. Below we will cover them.

Defining the metrics: The CPM

Notice that talking about advertising prices in absolute values is useless.

Suppose there are two blogs. One charges $500 monthly for a 125×125 banner spot above the fold, while the other charges $1,000 for a similar spot. Could we say that the first blog offers a much better deal for advertisers?

Obviously not, because the value that the advertiser will get for its money depends on a myriad of factors, above all the traffic that each of the two blogs receives monthly.

If the first blog generates 100,000 monthly page views while the second generates 500,000 monthly page views, an advertiser would be better off by purchasing the advertising space of the second blog for $1,000.

As you can see, the answer to our question comes from a very simple ratio: cost of the advertising space divided by the traffic that the ad will receive.

Several metrics could be used to define traffic, from unique visitors to visits and page views. Most publishers tend to use page views though. Moreover, it is a common practice to measure page views by the thousands, so one should talk about cost per 1,000 page views or impressions. CPM is the term for that, and it stands for Cost Per Mille (Mille being the Latin word for 1,000).

Just to conclude our example, if you do a small calculation you can see that the first blog has a $5 CPM while the second one has a $2 CPM.

Now, we are not suggesting that you should tie your ad rates to the number of monthly impressions of your blog. Offering a flat monthly rate to advertisers is usually the best (and simpler) way to go. Just keep the CPM numbers in mind because they will enable you to compare your prices with those of other bloggers.

What do other bloggers charge?

Like it or not, the Internet behaves like a giant market place, and all websites are subject to the laws of supply and demand. In other words, if you set a price that is significantly higher than the one used by other blogs on your niche, the advertisers will go somewhere else.

The first thing you should do, therefore, is to take a look on blogs that sell advertising space to evaluate what rates they are asking.

The format of the ad (e.g., 468×60, 120×600, 125×125) and the position (e.g., header, sidebar, footer, blended with content) are factors that will directly influence the final price, so in order to be consistent through out your research you should pick a format and position that is popular.

Among blogs selling direct advertising space the 125×125 button ad on top of the sidebar is arguably the most used format, and it should fit our research purpose.

Let’s see what popular blogs on the online marketing sphere are charging, for instance. If you visit the Advertising page of Copyblogger, you will find that the blog generates over 1,000,000 monthly page views, and a 125×125 spot on the sidebar costs $1,500. Divide $1,500 by 1,000 (remember that 1,000,000 is equal to 1,000 times 1,000 page views) and you get a CPM of $1,5.

Similarly, if you visit JohnChow you will find that the 125×125 button add costs $500 monthly, and the blog generates 300,000 page views. Again just do $500 divided by 300 and you get a CPM of $1,66.

As you can see a CPM of $1,5 for the 125×125 buttons is a good average. Even TechCrunch charges a similar rate ($10,000 for 6,5 million page views monthly, converting to a CPM of $1,53), so let’s keep that number as a starting point.

Adapting to your own situation

All the blogs mentioned are viewed as authorities on their niche, which affects how much advertisers are willing to pay to get exposed to their audiences. If your blog is new or if you are just beginning to experiment with direct advertising, therefore, you probably should start with a lower CPM.

Start asking a $0,5 CPM, for example, and as your blog grows and more advertisers come along you can gradually raise it. If you have a blog generating 100,000 monthly page views this would translate into $50 monthly for each 125×125 button placed on your sidebar.

If you are going to use other ad formats or position the ads on other locations of your website just estimate how these factors will affect the traffic that an advertiser will end up getting. Placing a 300×250 banner on the sidebar, for instance, is similar to having 4 125×125 ads, so you could charge 4 times the price of the 125×125 ad ($200 monthly if your blog generates 100,000 impressions, converting to a $2 CPM).

Similarly, increase the CPM if the ad is on the header or blended with the content, and decrease it if the ad will be displayed below the fold or on the footer.

Keep in mind that you should consider real page views for these evaluations. Most web stats programs and software tend to over estimate the traffic on your site. Google Analytics is usually the most reliable one.

Cross checking the numbers and experimenting

In order to cross check the numbers with an external source you could join an advertising network (either CPC based like Google Adsense or CPM based) and use it on the spots where you plan to sell direct advertising.

If you are planning to sell a 300×250 banner spot below your posts, for instance, you could firstly put a Google AdSense unit there and measure the CPM that it will give. Most direct advertising deals should bring you more money that what advertising networks do, mainly because you are cutting out the commissions and negotiating directly with the advertisers.

Finally, remember to experiment endlessly and draw your own conclusions. What works for one blog may not work for another, and vice-versa.

Over to you

Defining optimal advertising rates is a tricky business, and I recognize that the methods and strategies described above might not work for everyone.

What other methods have you used on your blog? How did they work?

This post was written by Daniel Scocco from the wonderful Daily Blog Tips.

Taken From ProBlogger: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/03/27/how-much-should-i-charge-for-my-advertising-space/

URL: http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/buildingawebsite/article206968.html

Are you considering building a website for your small business–or having one built for you? Before you dive in and create one, it’s crucial that you consider your website an investment in your business and act accordingly. This means looking down the road and making sure that the way you build your site allows you flexibility and a cost-effective way to grow the site–and, in turn, your business.

Redefining the Website
A website, though based on technology, is fundamentally a marketing tool. This is an important concept to understand because when you think about your website this way, you will recognize that a website, like your other marketing initiatives, should always be changing. Your website is not like a book, where you print a copy and are finished.

When you decide to build a website with a template service or through a web developer, avoid this statement: “I want a basic five-page website to get me started.” More important, avoid the packages of services that sell you on this idea; it is a way to get you to rely on them for everything.

Changeability Is Key
No, you don’t want your first website to be a static five pages long. The truth is, in two months you are going to need to make changes to your services, products, special offers–the list goes on. Now you’re paying for changes and new pages to be added, and the price tag for that small, basic, cost-effective website will, at the end of the year, be triple what you planned on spending.

Remember that your website is a marketing tool, so if you are planning on using search engine optimization or search engine marketing as marketing strategies, you will need the ability to make changes to your website. This is because search engines give high value to fresh content on websites (along with a slew of other factors), and SEM strategies include creating fresh landing pages.

You don’t know what you don’t know, so here is the truth about what everyone needs–even if you’re just starting out. You need a website that gives you the ability to grow. You need a website that gives you a way to add pages, edit content and upload files. And because you have these needs, the best solution is using some type of content management system.

Invest in Function, Not Pages
Today’s small businesses need the ability to control their content just as much as larger companies. You don’t need an advanced design, but you do need a website that allows you to change the text on all the pages, the ability to add photographs to your pages and embed code from outside sources like today’s social media tools.

Think of it this way: You are not buying a prefabricated, rigid square box with sides, a top and a bottom. That would be limiting. You are investing in the flexible software for your website that will allow you to swap in and out designs and add functions as you wish to grow your website into its own unique shape. Invest in scalability.

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words
Today’s template applications and modern content management systems don’t require that you be an expert in HTML and CSS, but if you are adding images or badges from your favorite social networks, you should get a little training on how these items work.

Working with an image program ahead of time to resize or crop images before you upload them will help you better understand how picture size and image size relate. Many of today’s content managers will resize photos for you, but to ensure that your website’s photos load quickly, it is better to resize before uploading. A little training will increase your success in managing the visual aspects of your website.

Remember: Your website is essentially a marketing tool for your business, so it should be able to change and grow alongside the other dynamic pieces of your marketing plan. Don’t paint your business into a corner with a “cost-effective” website that could eaily become costly and ineffective.

How often have you gone to a website and seen an image that looks like the one above?

One of the many mistakes we see on websites throughout the tangled web is the improper and almost amateur use of images.

Images truly make a lasting impression on your viewers especially when the average visitor makes the decision to stay or not within 12 seconds of arriving, and it really comes down to a matter of professionalism.

We’ll be putting together a few points for using images properly, but our biggest pet peeve is stretched images so that takes first priority. Granted, most people who maintain their own website don’t know or don’t have the proper tools to use images properly, but after this post… there are no excuses!

Please don’t stretch your images. It looks ugly.

If the height and width of your image needs to be 300 pixels in width and 150 pixels in height, please don’t select an image that is 150 pixels in width and 100 pixels in height. It won’t work. It’ll look really really bad and very unprofessional.

It’s difficult to select the proper picture and we can sympathize. However, liken choosing a picture for your post/page to picking a proper title. You need JUST the right one to capture the attention of your visitor. So try out the following

1. Goto Google Images and search for your image. On the left side click on the link that says ‘More’ and use the filtering tools to get the right size.
2. Try to find your picture on SXC, a popular free stock photo site, and filter your search by size.
3. If you feel you have just the right picture, but the dimensions are way too large, use a picture editor such as Picnik. It’s an easy to use website to edit all your images and best of all it’s FREE!
4. For the more advanced users, you can download Gimp (free software used by professional designers everywhere) and edit your images.

If you have any questions, feel free to share a comment and please forward this article to anyone whom you feel needs it!

Renaya is a Creative Design Firm specializing in four areas: web design, brand identity, social media strategy and internet marketing. Defined processes, high satisfaction, and return on investment are all recurring themes in the way we complete your project.

As experienced designers and advertising professionals we are able to mix our creative talent and our expertise in business strategy to provide you with an end-product that not only complements your marketing plan but greatly enhances it. By creating compelling products we deliver the solutions our clients demand.

With Renaya, your success is how we measure our own.

We're huge supporters of the World Wildlife Fund and you should be too! Visit their website at : http://www.worldwildlife.org

Today anyone who wants to provide information, sell something, or promote a business knows that a web presence will help them reach their goals. Your website is one of the most important marketing tools your company can have. It can make visitors sit up and take notice, and can set you apart from the competition.

An experienced web design firm can implement your ideas and help you understand the process so that you come away not only with a website, but with a greater understanding of the Web and online business. Clients want the best value for their money now more than ever and choosing a competent web design firm can bring a great return on your investment. With everyone calling himself or herself a web designer these days how do you know if you are making good choice?

1. Do they understand the target market?

Often times, businesses prioritize price at the top of their list leading them to an agency or an individual overseas. Hiring in your local area or at least in the same hempisphere is important because the designers will UNDERSTAND local attitudes and concerns towards your product or service. Colors, navigation, use of imagery, and even content layout change from each locality. Knowing these intricacies about the local market can truly make a remarkable difference.

2. Beware of the cookie cutter

When assessing the agency’s portfolio, keep an eye out for a diversity in clients and design. Are the websites innovative or do they all generally look the same? If they all use the same basic visual principles, chances are your website will likely resemble their portfolio and won’t offer much room for innovation.

3. What can they REALLY offer?

It used to be that your business could have a website developed and you’d place it on your stationery and marketing material and that would be enough to get a good amount of traffic. In this market of a 100,000 new websites every day, you’ll more than likely, also need a social media, internet marketing, and/or launch strategy to help drive viewers to your website. Pick an agency which specializes in more than just getting you on a search engine and designing your website, pick an agency which will make your website a success.

4. Pay by project and not by hour

Designing a website requires plenty of communication, online or in-person meetings, and the initial mock-up is redone a few times before the project is actually made live. Don’t be restrained by an hourly budget and hope the project will come right within your budget. Control the price from the get go and agree to what all is involved from drafts to meetings and have it in writing. Free your mind and your wallet with a fixed cost.

5. Price determines quality

In this industry, you truly pay for what you get. The lower you pay, the less effective your website will likely be. A good agency, will charge competitively and offer additional support services to ensure your success. Getting the lowest bidder will likely mean you will get a cookie cutter website, a student or someone who is doing it part-time, or someone who will outsource overseas producing unsatisfactory results. Make no mistake, you need a professional website designed by professionals at professional prices.

6. Your website shoudln’t come with a ball and chain.

YOU should be 100% in charge of your website after the project is complete, unless of course you have a relationship which allows your agency to modify portions of it. Your website should be setup for you to go in and without any knowledge of programming be able to make modifications at will. You shoudln’t have to be tied at the hip and wallet with your design agency.

About Renaya

Renaya is a Creative Design Firm specializing in four areas: web design, brand identity, social media strategy and internet marketing. Defined processes, high satisfaction, and return on investment are all recurring themes in the way we complete your project.

As experienced designers and advertising professionals we are able to mix our creative talent and our expertise in business strategy to provide you with an end-product that not only complements your marketing plan but greatly enhances it. By creating compelling products we deliver the solutions our clients demand.

With Renaya, your success is how we measure our own.

Our Specialties

Web Services
We can create the solutions you need for a turnkey presence on the web. Showcase your company only the way Renaya can.

Brand Identity
We’ll help you form your brand identity through logo, business card, brochure, and other items key to your growth.

Social Media Strategy
We can help you form your brand identity through logo, business card, brochure, and other items key to your growth.

Search Engine Marketing
Our internet marketing services utilize the latest methods to properly position your company on the world wide web.