ads on the web

Twonk

Can anyone here point me to a good resource to learn about advertising on the web?

mmorpg.com does such a fantastic job of offering A) a variety of styles of ads and such well well targeted ads that I am on a kick to learn how to integrate this type of 'non irritating' advertising on my website.

It always bugs me when I go to www.conservativechurchgoer.com and I get pop-ups offering penis enlargement or when I go to my favorite website www.skinnypeopleinhappymonogomousrelationships.com and get all sorts of ads for weight loss programs and offers to help me meet my soul/sex mate.

Okay, I made that up.  But you get my point.  The huge level of irrelevancy in the ads I've seen historically turned me off of the whole idea for fear of alienating my users.  Now that I know it can be done well (Thank you MMORPG.COM) I am stoked to learn.

I want to learn things like:

* How do you get just good ads?  Do you sell them specifically to the advertisers or are there marketing groups that will do that for you?

* How much do the banners pay now-a-days?

* How much do the non banner ads pay?

* I just felt there should be another bullet point.

Specific answers, comments on how I can ask better questions, or links to places where I can read-up would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Twonk

squeee

First stay away from pop-ups.  I believe everyone has deemed them annoying and pretty much every internet server now a days comes with a pop up blocker.  If you dont have one go here:  http://toolbar.google.com/ and get the google toolbar.  Second, the way to get better adds is to have higher traffic for your website.  The more traffic the more potential customers marketers will see.  Third add things to your site that encourage your community to visit your sponsors.  The more they click on the add the more you will get paid.   Lastly I have no idea how much each click will get you.  Most I ever heard of was 48 cents.

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"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
Rich Cook.

"The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents."
Nathaniel Borenstein .

Twonk

I am less concerned with the general quality of the ads than with the degree of relevency.

This site is such a fantastic example.  We are here to bond of things MMO.  We get ads for MMOs, ads for computer stuff, ads for anime, and ads for HOT NAKED CHICKS!

Wait- okay.  We don't get that last one...

So my question was intended to be more applied I guess.  How does one execute on getting ads that only fit within a relevent category?  Is it a manual process?  Hi Nvidia- would you like to put up an ad?  Or do you sign-on with 'qualityads4you.com' or...  Or do you sell your soul?

I'm not sure I would be willing to do the first one.

Thanks,

T-w-o-n-k

Admin

Well, so far companies have all approached us for advertising.  I think they discover us because we are already natuarally sending game sites LOTS of traffic from our game list.  Most companies track their web server stats to see who is sending them traffic.  Some even have more advanced tracking that allows them to see from what referers to paying players come from.  If they see we are sending nice traffic they usually want more.

Also, word of mouth has begun withing the gaming companies about MMORPG.COM - we are a highly targeted niche site - the people here typically care about only one thing...MMORPG games.

I hate pop up ads and spam.  For this reason I swear on my own life that I will not run pop up ads at this site and I will never sell peoples e-mail addresses or information (many sites do both of these to make extra money).

However, be wary of pop-up blockers becuase they can also block "good" pop up features at sites like ours...for example we use a pop up to show you a users profile and a few search tools in the site us a pop-up window.  Because blockers don't know what is an ad and what is good, they just block them all.  Usually you can add site URLs to a list of "good sites" to allow pop-ups.

- MMORPG.COM Staff -

squeee

No, bad Admin, dont you ever speak that way of pop up blockers.  I have never had a problem using google toolbar and viewing user profiles.

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"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
Rich Cook.

"The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents."
Nathaniel Borenstein .

Admin

Google might have created a more intelligent one.  I do know that many block all windows being opened by JavaScript (a pop-up).  I know this because I often get support e-mails saying "I am clicking on the User Info button and nothing is happening!" - the fix is always to disable the pop-up blocker.  Now I will encourage them to get Google's

- MMORPG.COM Staff -

Serien

i had one up on inetgiant.com

or somehting like that

rathma

 I use the google one.

Dekron

sounds like youre trying to be sneaky and put some ads in your post by mentioning those sites and what they offer

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If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"

Uiruru

LOL!!!  Anyway I steer clear of extra toolbars... I like to keep my windows nice and orderly...

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