Re: Generating Higher Yields

From: Lisa Melvin <LCMelvin_at_aol.com>
Date: Mon 17 Jan 2000 23:09:09 EST

FREDERICK HORNBERGER WROTE:
> We have an employment site that generates over 50,000
> page views a day, but consistently delivers a low
> click-through yield for banner ads that are not
> employment related.
>
> What are some ideas to improve the yield to capture
> mainstream advertisers? Are there other options we can
> offer advertisers to create a revenue stream besides
> traditional banner advertising?

Frederick,

I'm not surprised that your click-thru rate for
untargeted advertisers is low. If your market niche is
employment, then you can expect that your visitors are
in more of a mindset to click on banners related to
that subject matter. Why not continue to capitalize on
what's working rather than trying to build on what's
not?

To that end, do you feel that you're charging enough
for your current advertising space? Perhaps, if your
traffic and click-thru success rate merits it, it's
time to raise your rates.

Are you currently collecting email addresses of your
site visitors? Have you gotten their permission to
send them email solicitations -- direct or third party
-- that might pertain to your market segment? If so,
you can look to rent or sell these names to advertisers
as an opt-in email list. Similarly, if you're not
sending out an email newsletter, consider starting one
as soon as possible. Not only can you keep visitors
interested and coming back for more information, but
you can also sell ad space within that newsletter.

Another idea instead of a newsletter might be a free
notification service -- subscribers enter their
employment opportunity preferences, and they are
automatically emailed when such opportunities become
available. You can then sell advertising (and very
targeted advertising at that!) within these
notifications.

Lastly, how well do you think you've penetrated the
total advertising base for your market segment -- 1%?
5%? 10%? If you're not at 100%, obviously, there's
always room for more, so again, before you go beyond
what's working, seek to better optimize what you've
got.

Best regards,
Lisa Melvin
Marketing Associate
Web Ad.vantage, Inc.
http://www.webadvantage.net
--
STOP RELYING ON SEARCH ENGINES!!
(410)569-4950/(877)-493-2237
toll-free/(410)515-2417 fax




Received on Mon Jan 17 2000 - 22:09:09 CST