Best deals in online ads - includes related article on efficient marketing on the Web - Internet/Web/Online Service Information

Home Office Computing, July, 1997 by Jenny C. McCune

For a general list of ad cooperatives, go to www.netrus.net/users/victoria/banners. html. Then, once you've narrowed your choices, ask the following questions of the exchange service.

* Do I get to choose which sites my ad will run in? Some, but not all, let you swap ads with companies that are in the same broad category; others post your ad on its members' sites at random.

* Do I get to approve which advertisements run on my site? Face it, you may not be pleased with the companies or their ads or the content assigned to run on your home page. Ask if the service has rules about ad content.

* How many members have joined the cooperative? The greater the number, the more places your ad will be seen.

* Who does the legwork? Look for barter groups that handle the rotation of ads and delivery.

* Does the exchange assist with my ad design? LinkExchange, for example, posts tips and counsels members on ad design.

* Will I get a regular traffic report? The more information you collect about how many leads your ad generates, the more informed you'll be about making future advertising decisions.

Examples of Exchanges:

TradeBanner--

(www.resource-marketing.com/);

Double Click--

(www.doubleclick.net);

IMGIS--

(www.imgis.com);

Internet Banner Network--

(www.banner-net.com).

Since moving from Brooklyn to Bozeman, Montana, technology and business writer JENNY C. MCCUNE has come to rely on Internet ads to find deals on office supplies and services.

Increase Your Return on Investment

WHETHER YOU BUY a four-line classified or a full-blown banner ad, tracking the response you get to your advertising dollars is smart. That means, when prospects call, ask "How did you hear about us?" Likewise, Greg Helmstetter, author of Increasing Hits and Selling More on Your Web Site (John Wiley & Sons), suggests that you:

Spend time identifying target market sites. You want to take out space on a site for which every visitor will want to buy from you. You can begin by checking out Jupiter Communications's WebTrack Adspace Locator (www.jup. com:88/interact/data/sponsors/sponsors/shtml), which lists more than 800 advertising sites or Larry Chase's Web Digest for Marketers (www.wdfm.com/), which includes free calculators that will compute your Internet advertising costs.

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. Your first advertising commitment should be small. Talk the salesperson down from the stated minimum by insisting on a trial run. Or if you know space remains unsold as the placement deadline draws near. try this approach: "I looked at your rate card and it might be out of our budget range. Are you offering any discounts?"

Nix the numbers when comparing ad rates. Cost-per-thousand impressions--the most common way to compare rates between two Web site publishers is often meaningless since no two sites attract the same visitors. Instead, writes Helmstetter. "conduct a small sam pie run and determine your cost per lead, sale, or even sales dollar,"

Subscribe to Online Advertising Discussion List listerv (www.o-a.com). Pose questions to this list of more than 1,000 members. says Helmstetter. "for the most frank and honest accounts of rates and Web marketing war stories."