Small business owners understand the need for a well-developed website and often an accompanying blog. Google reports that 97 percent of consumers do an online search before deciding which business to frequent. Clearly, improving page rank based on keywords or geographic locale is paramount to driving traffic to a particular site and building revenue.
There is money to be made based on what site visitors find at a small business URL, but what about the site itself? Have you ever considered the monetary benefits to the number of clicks your website receives? Grovo partnered with MediaMath and released a comprehensive guide that explains the many facets of online advertising. Here are a few easy ways to use those tips to your advantage to earn revenue while providing the basics of customer information on your company domains:
Add a PPC widget. In many cases, a PPC (pay per click) widget like Google AdWords or WidgetBox is free to install and use. Websites that utilize these options earn a percentage of what the host makes – generally around 60 percent. Advertisers bid on websites that match their own interests and the price goes up as website traffic increases. Websites only receive revenue if an ad is clicked – and there are sophisticated sensors in place to discourage non-organic clicks (it won’t help you to click on an ad 100 times per day; the widget knows your IP address and has safeguards in place to prevent you from stacking the cash in your favor). If you receive less than 1,000 page views per month, do not expect to earn a lot through this option. Still, every penny earned is an opportunity that would have been otherwise lost. Some other leading PPC providers include:
Host reviews. If you have a website but not a blog, consider a specific navigation page set aside for product or service reviews. This gives your site visitors an opportunity to learn more about items that are complementary to what you offer – and gives you a chance to make some extra revenue. If you have a blog, you can write the reviews as normal posts in your feed. It is best to stay transparent and not appear unbiased in this type of writing – readers will respect you and your products much more if you tell the truth. You do not need to come right out and state the amount you were paid to review the product, but you should mention that you agreed to review the item after talking with representatives from the company. Always have an “out” if you decide that you do not want the product endorsed on your site; do not accept any payment until you feel comfortable putting your stamp of approval on an item.You can seek these opportunities out on your own, or visit sites that operate as the “middle man.” Here are a few to get you started:< >PayPerPostSponsored Reviews
Seek out sponsors. The difference between advertisers and sponsors is this: an advertiser generally signs on for a general position on a website (above the “fold,” top of the page, bottom of all blog posts) while a sponsor plays a more specific role. If you sell baby gear, a sponsor may want to clearly be labeled as such in your section that has the latest safety information. If you own a local accounting firm, another area business may want to sponsor your blog page with several entries on tax planning tips. A sponsorship makes more of a statement about the belief system of that advertiser and that prominence means website owners can charge more for this type of promotion. Some good sites to visit to see how to word sponsorship advertising include:
As a small business owner, you have complete discretion when it comes to what advertising to include, or exclude, on your sites. Implementing even one paid initiative online has the potential to bring in substantial revenue if handled correctly. You already have a website in place – why not make the most of it?
For more information on monetizing your websites and other online mediums, check out these links:
Monetizing Newsletters – The Huffington Post
9 Strategies for Monetizing Blogs – Flippa Blog
Web Monetizing of the Future – TechCrunch
About The Author: MediaMath
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