Our next lesson covers the main items for online advertising. Advertising is probably the most important promotion tool for big brick-and-mortar companies. However, with a SEM businesses, advertising is only a supporting factor. The problem is that the majority of SEM businesses lack the scale to be able to effectively contact large numbers of prospects and clients. Furthermore, there aren’t many places on the Web where prospective clients come in flocks. Therefore, advertising is largely PPC-oriented.Actually, online advertising is advertising on the Internet. This particular form of advertising is a source of revenue for an increasing number of websites and companies.A significant number of firms, from small businesses to multinational corporations, incorporate online advertising into their marketing strategy. Online advertisements typically involve at least two separate firms: the advertiser or agency which purchases or sponsors the advertisement and the publisher or network which distributes the ad for display. Because of the close relationship between technical innovation and online advertising, many firms specialize in both. For example, most search engines couple their search service with an advertising program, exploiting the benefits of keyword-based search technology by including ads in search results.Let’s look closer on the most popular online advertising form as traditional banner. PPC advertising form will be explained in details in 8 lessons of our next Step.Traditional Banner
A Web banner or banner ad is a widely used form of advertising on the Internet. This kind of online advertising entails embedding an advertisement into a Web page. It is intended to attract traffic to a website by linking them to the advertiser’s website.Generally the advertisement is constructed from an image (GIF, JPEG, PNG), JavaScript program or multimedia object employing technologies such as Java, Shockwave or Flash, and often employing animation or sound to maximize presence. Images are usually in a high-aspect ratio shape. Banners are usually placed on Web pages that have interesting content, such as a newspaper article or an opinion piece.The Web banner is displayed when a Web page that references the banner is loaded into a Web browser. This event is known as an “impression”. When the viewer clicks on the banner, the viewer is directed to the website advertised in the banner. This event is known as a “click-through”. Many banner ads work on a click-through payback system.At the base of a click-through system are mathematical calculations of the number of users (users clicking on an ad) divided by impression number. We remember that the term impression means the number of times the ad was delivered. For example, if your banner ad was delivered 100 times (impressions delivered) and 1 person clicked on it (clicks recorded), then the resulting CTR would be 1%.It should be noted that banner ad click-through rates have fallen over time, often measuring significantly less than 1% and choice of an appropriate advertising site with high affinity is very important crucial factor in this situation. Personalized ads, unusual formats, and more obtrusive ads typically have higher click-through rates than standard banner ads.When the advertiser scans their log files and detects that a Web user has visited the advertiser’s site from the content site by clicking on the banner ad, the advertiser sends the content provider a small amount of money (usually around five to ten US cents). This payback system is often how the content provider is able to pay for the Internet access to supply the content in the first place.Nine Common Banner Ad Mistakes to Avoid
Banner advertising expert Rob Frankel advises e-marketers to avoid the following mistakes when creating their banner ads:
Overloaded. Too many colors. Too slow to load. Too hard to read. Nobody wants to grow old waiting for your banner ad to load. Frankel advises designing banner ads that will load and view easily with last year’s technology. “Personally, I design pages for people running no more than Netscape 2.0 on the equivalent of a 486 running at 66 MHz and 256 colors,” says Frankel. “That means your art should still be no deeper than eight bits, unless you’re a true minimalist and can bring it in at no more than four.”
Unattractive. People like good-looking stuff. What works for Cindy Crawford can work for you, too. So if you’re not a digital Da Vinci, find someone who is and pay him or her a few bucks to make your banner look great.
Too many bells and whistles. Just because technology offers you bells and whistles doesn’t mean you have to use every one of them. Chances are that the average Web surfer has been through several sites before he or she gets to your banner. Give the reader a break. Don’t overdo motion, movement, or message changes. And allow some time to digest what you’re displaying.
Illiteracy and illegibility. These are the ads that make you scrunch up your face and twist your head trying to make some sense out of the illegible scrawls that some knucklehead thinks are cool. But prospects don’t care how cool you think it looks. If they can’t read it, you’ve lost any chance of their clicking on it.
Missing link. Your banner looks great but isn’t linked to anything. That’s a mistake that anyone should be able to detect and prevent with a simple check.
Link errors. Your banner looks great. The link works… directly to a 404 message (meaning the requested Web page was not found). Maybe this one isn’t your fault. Maybe your webmaster inadvertently forgot to tell you he or she switched servers. But even if it was the webmaster’s fault, who do you think will catch the blame? Keep checking those banner links every few days.
Weak message. The same things that make good ads make good banners. Unfortunately, the same things that make bad ads make horrible banners. If you don’t know how to write and design a clever, compelling message, hire someone who does. Nothing turns off potential prospects more than a really stupid attempt at being clever, an offense usually committed with the aid of a bad pun. Remember that your ad is a representative of you, containing a smattering of your personality and ability. If it looks dopey to a viewer, guess what they’re going to think about you? It’s better to be clear than clever.
Confusing message. Your banner looks pretty, but nobody understands what the heck you’re talking about. This is the number-one mistake made by do-it-yourselfers.
Boring banners. One common mistake is that your banner doesn’t compel your recipients to respond within a certain time frame. Without a deadline, there is no immediacy to act, which means they scroll away until they forget it.
Web banners function the same way as traditional advertisements are intended to function: notifying consumers of the product or service and presenting reasons why the consumer should choose the product in question, although Web banners differ in that the results for advertisement campaigns may be monitored real-time and may be targeted to the viewer’s interests.The evidence shows that Web banner ads are restricted by high cost and limited physical banner area. Let’s look at the Marketplace section of SearchEngineWatch.com:Out of 10 advertisers only 3 are in the SEM services business. These companies – BruceClay, KeywordRanking and MoreVisibility – are the largest players in the industry; they have enough wherewithal to run these ads and enough resources to satisfy a large flow of traffic.Pay per click advertising
Pay per click or PPC advertising is an arrangement in which webmasters (operators of websites), acting as publishers, display clickable links from advertisers, in exchange for a charge per click. As this industry evolved, a number of advertising networks developed which acted as middlemen between these two groups (publishers and advertisers). Each time a (believed to be) valid Web user clicks on an ad, the advertiser pays the advertising network, who in turn pays the publisher a share of this money. This revenue sharing system is seen as an incentive for click fraud.Though many companies offer pay per click system as one of their services. Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture) and MSN AdCenter are top players in this field.As far as PPC advertising is the first advertising option for any new on-line businesses it became one of the dominant and widely used marketing tools.What you should remember:
A Web banner is displayed when a Web page that references the banner is loaded into a Web browser. This event is known as an “impression”. When the viewer clicks on the banner, the viewer is directed to the website advertised in the banner. This event is known as a “click-through”.
Banners should be placed on Web pages that have interesting content, such as a newspaper article or an opinion piece.
Introduction to Online Advertising
Telecommunication Business of Your Own Will Lower Your Phone Bill
A Telecommunication Business allows you the possibility of making money every time you pick up the phone, or go onto the internet. People say it is impossible, but is it? Telephone companies and electric companies have been doing it for over 100 years.When the government began to break up the telephone companies and made it possible for independent electric companies to compete, the door was opened to telecommunication business opportunities. This is really not a new type of business, and it not a get rich quick scheme. It is a highly respected and profitable home based business when treated as a business.You will need to do your research about the telecommunications industry before anything else. You will technically be buying a franchise, so you may incur start up costs that could be substantial. However, depending on the company you decide to go with will change the start up costs. Some have no fee to start while others can run into the thousands of dollars. See what each company offers and then decide which is best for you.When looking at these telecommunications companies you want to check several things. One that has been mentioned is the start up costs. Check also to see if there are any other fees that are incurred monthly. Another consideration would be compensation, and residual income.Compensation within each company is different. Their compensation telecommunication business affiliates runs from 0% until you reach a certain level in the company, up to 20% from the day you begin. You need to find a compensation plan that is right for you.You should also look at the residual income and see if it is offered. This is income that you will continue to receive even after you retire. There are companies who offer no residual income until you get to a certain level, and other companies that offer it for two generations after your death. You need to be comfortable with the residual income before you decide.You should also consider what services the company will offer to your customers. Each company offers general telecommunication services for their affiliates, but some offer additional services and have plans to expand. Check all of this out before deciding on the company.Something else you may want to consider is if the company will help you market your telecommunications business. Do you want a website, only word of mouth, or both? See what each company has to offer and decide which marketing option will fit you best.Hopefully one company will have many of the options at the levels you want. However, chances are you will have to compromise on one or more options. Decide what is really important to you before making your final decision.Once you have joined a company as an affiliate, you will want to switch your home and business telephone company to your own. If the service is available, change your internet too. The best way to save money and actually make money is to take advantage of the services yourself.Many affiliates focus on one group of customers, such as the general public, college students, older persons and families. Others focus on businesses, such as home based, small, mid-size, or corporate businesses. Choose a group or don’t play favorites. That is one of the best reasons to start your own business, the choices are yours and they are endless.It is imperative that you keep up with the trends in the industry. Go the parent companies website regularly, subscribe to newsletters and telecommunication business periodicals. By knowing the future you can expand your client base, and keep the clients you already have happy.This is definitely not a get rich quick plan. It does take a lot of work. Maybe start it as a part time job and as it grows you can change the goals and your life. The options are endless. With time and effort, this could be a rewarding career for people wanting to make a difference, and willing to work hard.Look into it now. Research the companies, and then decide if a home based telecommunications business opportunity is the right business for you.
Anti Aging Skin Care Product Secrets Revealed
Rule #1: Look beyond the claims of the productWhile advertising is a huge influence in the skin care market, it is important to be wise in dealing with the claims of any one particular product. If the product claims to reduce fine lines and eliminate wrinkles are these claims supported by reviews of real people who have used the product and seen positive results?One tip is to look for products that stimulate collagen production as over time, this can bring about dramatic and changes in the skin’s appearance. In addition, a product which contains a good moisturizer is crucial to relax skin tension and lock the moisture in.Rule #2: Don’t worry about the presence of any one ingredientWith so many competing creams on the market, there’s bound to be some degree of separation in which ingredients they all contain. Instead of getting fixated on which product a skin cream “must” contain, try to see what any individual product can bring to your skin care routine.It’s probably too much to ask for any one skin care product to be a “magic pill” for your skin, but by using a combination of products that attack the problem from different angles its easy to see how by using two or even three good skin care products your skin can easily benefit from the compound effect of all the extra nutrients and ingredients.Some really great nutrients for skin care include Silica, Zinc, Omega-3 acids, Selenium and Vitamin C and antioxidants.Rule #3: Avoid IrritantsOk, so while it can be good to have a range of essential nutrients in your skin care regime, there are definitely some skin care products that you would do well to avoid. Products that irritate the skin can actually increase wrinkles and weaken the skin against protection from environmental damage, such as UV from the sun’s rays, which is most definitely NOT what you want!The best advice here is to test. Even the slightest tingling or uncomfortable feeling on the skin resulting from using a product is the first sign of skin irritation. If this happens to you then my advice is strongly to stop using that product immediately! There are many alternatives on the market and the risks are simply not worth the cost.Once again check the product reviews and see what others are saying. This could save you a lot of trouble in the long run.Rule #4: Look for products that compliment your skin typeGetting to know your skin type can save you a lot of time in choosing the right products for you. This is actually a lot easier than you might expect. Basically, skin types can be broken down into four key groups: Normal, dry, oily and sensitive. There is also a combination skin type, although this is less common. Your skin will probably fall into one of these categories or have characteristics which make it more one than the other.(One quick tip here, if you are having trouble undermining your skin type, it could pay to to visit a dermatologist who can easily tell you which category your skin type fits into.)With this in mind, match the right skin product to your skin type and it will not only leave your skin feeling more fresh and nourished but will avoid any harmful influences that may occur from using the wrong product on your skin.In addition to this, remember to use the product on all areas of your skin that are exposed to the sun. It’s often overlooked that it’s not only the areas around the eyes and mouth that need attention. Your neck, hands and even parts of your body such as your knees and elbows may also benefit from some tender love and care!Rule #5: Don’t Expect Results OvernightThis goes back to the promises and claims you will see that accompany many skin care products. If I found a product that was a “miracle cure” for skin care I’d be absolutely thrilled about it! The truth is that a skin care product works in connection with your daily routine and is not really an isolated cure all by itself. You still need to protect yourself from the sun and keep on practising all the good habits which lead to healthy looking skin.That’s not to say that you can’t see tangible results and have great success with the right product. After all, skin care needn’t be difficult and it’s certainly possible to see positive results in a matter of weeks with the right product.Typically, in 2-3 weeks you should start to see some benefits to your skin, although for the best results a more prolonged use is recommended. Using the right product for a few months can literally transform the skin’s appearance.The benefits of a good anti aging skin care product include smoother and more radiant skin, a more even skin tone and less reduction of wrinkles and fine lines. Not only are these goals achievable but thanks to the recent developments in the cosmetics industry they are now also within anyone’s reach.The truth is that anti aging skin care needn’t be expensive or take lots of hard work. However, there is also a LOT of information out there and it can often be tricky to sort out what works from what doesn’t. So, to give you a head start, I’ve put together a free report of neat tips that can help you to have softer, smoother looking skin which feel great in the shortest time possible!First, head on over to How To Have Perfect Skin (that’s the blog) and sign up for my FREE skin care report. You’ll get access to all kinds of info, packed with skin care tips and advice for younger looking skin.Second, browse around the site for more skin care tips, techniques and reviews of and anti aging skin care products that have proven results.Third, take the plunge! By making healthy lifestyle choices and choosing the right product you could start to see significant results towards younger looking skin in less time than you might expect.