Banner Advertising Can Turn Your Articles Into Cash

If you want to make money from the articles which you have on your site, you need to make sure that your website is promoted in a manner that will attract visitors to your site. There are a number of different ways to promote your site; one of these is by using banner advertisements.

What Banner Ads Can Do For You

Banner ads can bring in visitors from other sites. The monthly fees to place banner ads on high traffic sites can be expensive, but it can actually be cheaper than waiting a long time for your SEO efforts to get your site a good placement in search engine results. Other than paying someone to place banner ads on their site, there are free banner exchanges which you can use. Keep reading to see some of the pros and cons of each banner advertising model.

Free Banner Exchanges

Free banner exchanges are exactly what they sound like – you place another site’s banner on your site and vice versa. This is free, but there are two problems with these exchanges. One is that if you want to get your banner on a lot of different sites, you’ll have to clutter your site with these banners. If you run an affiliate site, this can negatively impact your commissions as visitors click on these banners instead of your own affiliate links. You also need to be cautious about which sites you choose to exchange banners with. Some sites have tons of banners – meaning that they are more than likely a link farm or portal with no real content of their own. These sites will not bring you any appreciable traffic, but you will be bringing traffic to them – not a good bet for you as an affiliate marketer.

Paid Banner Ads

Paid banner ads cost money of course, but these ads can easily pay for themselves if you pick the right sites to place your banner ads on.  You have to make sure that these sites really get the traffic which they claim to and that your ad will receive a good placement on the site. Another thing to look at is whether the site is already crowded with other banner ads, especially those which are for your competition.

Banner ads can be a great thing for your website if you go about things the right way. If you do decide to use banner advertisements as a way to bring traffic to your site, be sure to keep these tips in mind.

45 Comments

  • Bruno Auger

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Reed
    You always have good posts.

    Banner advertising is not dead like some people say. It is actually quite good still if you know where to go. I think that what most markets lack is where to goto put these banner to make it profitable for them.

  • Brad Pollina

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    The key is to make the banners interesting enough to get the click. I see so many boring banners! The cool ones I definitely click, though, so they do work.

    Brad Pollinas last blog post..Affiliate Marketing Tips For Long Range Success

  • Profit Lance

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    I have not tried banner ads yet. I’ll look into the banner exchange but as you say Reed it may not be a good idea if you alredy have affiliate ads on your site. None the less it’s good to take all these things into consideration.
    Thanks again

  • Bev

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    I use banners in a post to create interest.

  • Hi Reed,
    I’ve kept away from 3 type of advertising so far
    1. 3 way linking
    2. safe lists
    3. ad exchanges
    I’ll need to do more research on these but as far as Ad Exchanges go I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.

  • Martin

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Some great points you make there.
    In regard to banner ad placement, above the fold normally yields better results.

    Martins last blog post..Blogging To The Bank 3

  • Elizabeth Nichols

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Google has a nifty new displayadbuilder that should make it fast and easy to design banners and post them up on Google’s network.

    While it does cost to post banners on content sites through Google, it is generally a lot less expensive than a text PPC ad.

    Liz Nichols

    Elizabeth Nicholss last blog post..Here’s an under rated traffic tip you can use now

  • Frankie Teo

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Very true on what you mentioned. Banners are still widely use by top marketers as tools to promote their programs or products.

    Well, there are some who prefer to use banners & some who do not want to use it. I think it’s fine to use it in blog post but just don’t over do it.

    Thanks again, Reed..

    Regards,
    Frankie Teo
    http://www.frankieteo.com

  • Nando

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Interesting article on banner ads. I personally don’t find them to be to effective though as many people don’t click on banners to often.

    I guess it can work if you’re banner is attractive and on a high quality site, in which case it could cost a pretty penny.

    Cheers,
    Nando

    Nandos last blog post..How To Create An Internet Product In One Day

  • nelson

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    I got a lot of traffic from a company that doesn’t exist anymore but they sent traffic to my banner site which had 4 banners on it. Since they don’t exist any more I thought of sending cheap traffic “I’ve seen offers of about 50k for $50 a month” then put up to 10 banner exchanges on my banner page. that would multiply by banner being seen up to 500,000 times a month. Would that be feasable or even allowed and of course trhe more banners the merrier 😉
    nelson

  • John Bonzo

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    I think our minds must be running in the
    same line. I just published an article on banner ads myself. I think it is really a good way to promotes sites.

    Thanks for your insight,
    John

  • JANE

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    VERY GOOD POINTS, I HAVE HAD ALOT OF TRAFFIC FROM BANNERS IN THE PAST AND THINK THEY CAN BE GOOD AS LONG AS YOU ARE CAREFUL

  • Jane

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Banner ads are something I haven’t tried yet but have thought about.

    In Mass Control Frank Kern shows how he got his first banners running in the dog training niche and it sparked my interest.

    I’m not one for cluttered sites so the banner exchange thing doesn’t appeal to me at all…guess I’ll have to pay.

    Janes last blog post..“Take Action Today” Generate Traffic And Sales With…FOCUS!

  • arllan

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Very good article, i have mixed reviews about banner promotions but also at the same time if done with good context it’s an awesome promotion tool……very good article again reed.

  • Pat Gunning

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    banners are just one of the marketing tools that you should have in your toolbox. banners work and work well if used in the most effective way.

    Always take advantage of any free marketing available to you. It certainly can’t cost too much!

  • delords

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Thanks Reed for this Article,

    Sure banners are great way to get traffic to Ones Site but the banner has to be well designed and attractive that it can catch peoples attention easily.

    There are ways to design your banner that people will get kinda curious to find out more, you can like throw in a question and they click to find out more.

    Sure banners does work.

    delordss last blog post..What Brings the Cash in Internet Business….

  • Paul Livingston

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    So where does one find a paid banner site? What exactly are they? How do you find one with the right traffic (suitable for your niche)?

    Also, Jerry Reeder (successful advertiser and copywriter) tells me that skyscraper banners outperform landscape banners by about 600%.

    Paul Livingstons last blog post..21 Simple Ways to Make More with any size list!

  • Greg

    Reply Reply December 4, 2008

    Reed, you are making some very valid points in this article.

    I have been using banner advertising extensively for several years now and it can be very effective indeed.

    Tracking all my advertising allows me to quickly and easily see what’s working and what’s not… banner advertising does work.

  • Ari Lestariono

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Nice article about banner.I will look into it and do some research whether it works for me or not.Thanks for the tips.

    Ari Lestarionos last blog post..Home Remedies for Sore Throat

  • Timothy Caron

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Tim here, I don’t normally post information about such a controvertial subject. The reason why many marketers believe that banner advertising is dead, is there not thinking outside the box.

    Let me explain if I may.
    Many people are becoming banner blind, and what I mean by that is that a whapping 62.3% of banners are distracting. And I’m sure you’ve seen the kind that I mean. The big flashing banners at the top or bottom of a website or even the flash banners that are veritcal in the navigation sidebars of most websites.

    From a buyers perspective many have grown accustomed to these types of banners and eventualy just block them out of there mind. So the end result is less click throughs.

    If a marketer was tracking the conversion rates of these banners he or she would think that banner advertising doesn’t work.

    Instead, try something less intrusive. A small
    200 by 180 plain white background banner with the same type font as the website you want your banner to be displayed on with a blue underlined text, that looks link a hyper link with a call to action.

    This to the buyers perspective is just a normal
    looking text link. non intrusive, with a call to action.

    And one more thing. Went looking for a place to advertising this type of banner or any banner for that matter, you should look for a website that has a similar product niche so it would compliment both parties.

    Compliment both parties you say?
    If you get to know the website owner of where you want to advertise you may want to introduce your product or service to him or her
    and ask to partner with each other whereby you both would promote each other services using non intrusive banners or just plain text links

    The other option is to look for websites, that will compliment a webmasters niche or your niche and request positional placement. Which would give you the opportunity to have your banner above the folder. What I mean by this is when a page opens for the first time, you want to be able to see your banner on the page before you start scrolling through the page.

    Just thought I’d pass on a little helpful information for your members and guests.

    I hope this will spark your imaginations to think outsite the box.

    Thanks again and keep up the great work Reed.
    Tim Caron
    Back To The Basics of Business

  • David Enders, D.C.

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Haven’t tried banner ads yet either – not sure about them, but your article has gotten my attendtion.

    David Enders, D.C.s last blog post..Tony Robbins – Change Your Life

  • Alwin chuah

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed

    Well written article. However it will be good if you could provide a web link for each item that you mentioned( paid banner, free banner)

    Keep up the good work
    Cheers

    Alwin chuahs last blog post..Free Method to hide your affiliate link

  • Social Network Blog

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    excellent post…does anyone believe that banner ads are invisible to the eyeballs visiting a page? sometimes i think we are over selling their effectiveness…especially as a direct response tool

    Social Network Blogs last blog post..10 Bookmarking Sites Discussed

  • Timothy Millar

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hey Reed, Banners are definitely not dead, I get most of my results from banners but why not just put your banners on your own site? Have a wonderful day,Timothy Millar

    Timothy Millars last blog post..Relationships on the World Wide Web

  • Phil Eugene

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed

    I wonder about banner ads – I can’t remember the last time I clicked on one. I try to make my own simple text based – that does better than any big splash but still pretty low for all the time and effort.
    I assume your posting about them for more than just making a post so thanks for making me take a rethink..

    Best Regards

    Phil Eugene
    phil.pal@gmail.com
    http://www.rapidresponsebot.com

    Phil Eugenes last blog post..Introducing The Opt-In Motivator!

  • happysus

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Very good article, Thank Feed. I don’t think anybody or big name like you want to exchange banner with me (my site). That is because the traffic is to low. I don’t effort to pay for ads.

    Position of banner is also important. Of cause attractive and on a high quality site is one of the important factor.

  • Daniel Abraham

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    I start using Ad Banners last month since I get to promote my new website.
    “http://abrahamgpstracking.com”
    As you said and for every body want to use ad banners to get the highest amount of traffic to your site.Your banner needs to be well designed and look and feel interesting for visitors to click on it.

  • Geoff Dodd

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hey Reed! Thanks for your info. I’ve found that Banner ads need to have high contrast and be flashing a compelling TEXT message quickly into the brain .. several lines of text where you get riveted to focus on the message as it unfolds – with curiosity.

    Geoff Dodd
    Australia

  • normz2

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Banner adds can be quite attractive. You still need some word promotions to build up to it. Once you click on the banner that you are using, you can copy and paste the relavant information that you want to use to attract people to click on the banner. I am still experimenting with this to see what results I can get.

  • RJ Peters

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Good info, Reed. I’ve been burned by banner exchanges so now I avoid them. However, I just discovered how neat it can work to put banners in your ebooks! Also, put banners into your free reports and distribute them at the giveaways!

  • Richard

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Interesting and informative as usual Reed. Personally I conform to the view that banners are only really effective on one’s own site, but your point about not using free banner exchanges is well made.

    Richards last blog post..Review: Internet Marketing Success Formula

  • Lena Khalid

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Thanks for the tips. I often wonder about swapping banner ads. Guess it’s not dead but as you said…don’t over-do it. 😉

    Lena Khalid
    http://marketing-online-affiliateway.blogspot.com/
    http://lenakhalid.blogspot.com/

    Lena Khalids last blog post.."The Twitter Report" – Summary, Review, & How To Get Your Free Copy…

  • Sheri Swartz

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed,
    You’re consistently giving good sound advice from your years of experience.

    I haven’t tried banner ads as a promotional tool and I tend not to click on them. I like to stay focused on what I’m originally researching rather than sidetracked by a flashy ad. Maybe I’m not the norm:)

    Kindly,
    Sheri

  • Femi

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Interesting article. So when are you going to start placing banners on this blog Reed?

    – Femi
    http://femiakinkuowo.com

  • PV Reymond

    Reply Reply December 5, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Some people say that banners don’t work any more, but I think that it depends on many things.

    Before spending a lot of money you have to test your banners and you have to be able to identify the sites where your banners can work well.

    If you know how to advertise using banners you can achieve great results.

    Thanks,
    ^PV Reymond

    http://startup-internetbusiness.com

    PV Reymonds last blog post..Internet Marketing For Newbies… The First Step

  • Jeen Hao

    Reply Reply December 6, 2008

    Haha… I believe if Reed want to sell his ad place, the price will be high =)

    Banner advertising is really better than text links ads. A question. Do banner advertising cost much?

    Jeen Haos last blog post..Blogs To Wealth Newsletter Launch!

  • admin

    Reply Reply December 6, 2008

    @Bruno thanks

    @Brad agreed a lot of them are ignored

    @Profit another thing is to use banners ads for your own products and put them on your own sites and products

    @Bev and how is that going for you?

    @Luca I’m not a huge fan of them either

    @Martin agreed

    @Liz what’s the link for that?

    @Frankie agreed you don’t want to overdo it

    @Nando that’s true it can add up

    @Nelson sounds a bit too good to be true to me

    @John great 🙂

    @Jane thanks

    @Jane interesting

    @arllan thanks

    @Pat agreed

    @delords you’re welcome

    @Paul you can advertise with banners on AdWords and many other sites just do a search

    @Greg great 🙂

    @Ari you’re welcome

    @Timothy great tips

    @David keep us posted

    @Alwin I’ll keep that in mind for the future

    @Social there is banner blindness but they do work otherwise we would never ever see them advertised anywhere

    @Timothy agreed I think putting banners for your own products on your informational site or blog would work well. I’ll more than likely be doing that

    @Phil yep it’s about sparking controversy and engaging thoughtful discussions 🙂

    @happysus you’re welcome

    @Daniel how is that going for you?

    @Geoff interesting

    @normz2 keep us posted

    @RJ that’s a creative outside of the box idea thanks 🙂

    @Lena it can work

    @Sheri a lot of people are like that but because of that a lot of us forget about banner ads and on sites like blogs and on thank you pages a banner ad can stick out for some reason it seems to me

    @Femi good question I’ll probably do that before the end of the year

    @PV agreed

    @Jeen that’s a loaded question they can be anywhere from free as in paying someone an affiliate commission to a lot of money

  • Christine Imamshah

    Reply Reply December 7, 2008

    Hey Reed,

    Thanks for this article and the great responses it generated. I was particularly interested in this topic since I was also under the impressions that Banner eds were ineffective as people had begun to ignore them

    After reading this article and the responses I will be looking into banner ads again.,

    Regards,
    Chris
    http://www.affiliateincomeroadmap.com

  • faria

    Reply Reply December 8, 2008

    Thank you for the infos i got many traffics to my web site http://www.enginesubmissions.net
    i still use this system keep giving us a good ideas

  • Jeen Hao

    Reply Reply December 8, 2008

    Actually the concept is same as text links ad and exchanges, right? Or I misunderstand?

    Jeen Haos last blog post..Blogs To Wealth Newsletter Launch!

  • Shawn Horwood

    Reply Reply December 13, 2008

    I have never actually even considered doing banner ads. I definitely would never even consider doing the free ones, the effort you have to put in is not worth the amount of money you make, and I generally tend to stay away from paid advertising. I prefer article marketing, forum marketing, and social networking. But I might give banner advertising a try.
    Shawn Horwood
    http://top5-workathome.com/blog/

    Shawn Horwoods last blog post..Membership Site

  • admin

    Reply Reply December 14, 2008

    @Chris you’re welcome keep us posted

    @faria you’re welcome

    @Jeen you could do those as well similar concept

    @Shawn keep us posted

  • Jason Laney

    Reply Reply December 15, 2008

    The thing about banner exchanges is that
    your banners get seen on all sites that
    are owned by members of the traffic exchange.

    Referring to banner exchanges is easy because everyone needs advertising and banner exchanges are one of the free ways to get exposure in a big way.

    On the banner exchange I own I give members
    5000 credits just for signing up and 1000 credits per referral.

    As a member, they can earn .75 credit for every 1 banner displayed on their site through my easy to add HTML code.

    Their accumulated credits are then “spent” by displaying their banner on other sites.

    For every 1 credit they earn, their banner is displayed on another members site earning them traffic for FREE!

    Jason Laney
    http://www.LaneyExchange.com

  • Banner advertising is great as long as the banner looks intriguing and doesn’t look spammy.

  • ProvenProfit

    Reply Reply May 26, 2010

    Thank you for this useful info 🙂

Leave A Response To Martin Cancel reply

* Denotes Required Field