Internet advertising methods explained

Internet advertising has changed a great deal since the early days of banner ads. Today, you can promote your website with listings in directories, pay-per-click search engines, and popups and pupunders. You can even purchase a text link on high-ranking, high-traffic websites.

This article will explain several internet advertising methods, and let you know which ones work and which ones don't.

Banner ads - When the web was in its infancy, internet advertising was synonymous with banners. If you wanted to advertise online, this was your only choice. Then came a deluge of flashing animations that quickly turned customers off and led to "banner blindness". This type of internet advertising is no longer very effective.
Popups and popunders - Next came the infamous popup ad. These quickly became so annoying that many web surfers stopped returning to sites that used them. But pops are fairly effective as internet advertising goes because they are impossible to ignore. When an ad pops up, you have to engage it before you can continue on with your web surfing.

In an effort to reduce the annoyance factor, advertisers began using popunders. These are very similar to popups, but they are displayed under (behind) the web browser. The visitor doesn't see the ad at all until after closing the browser. Popunders are more effective than popups.

Popup blocking software has made this type of internet advertising much less effective than it was just a year ago. If you pay per impression, you may end up paying for ads that the users never see.
Online auctions - One of the hottest internet advertising methods available today is the online version of auction sales. Ebay is one of the web's most popular destinations. Individuals and Fortune 500 companies alike advertise their goods there, and it has given rise to an entirely new variety of entrepreneur.
Text links - One of the most effective forms of internet advertising is the time-tested text link. For a few hundred dollars per month, a business can advertise on some of the largest and most visited websites on the net. Well targeted text links are by far the most effective form of internet advertising today.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns - The success of text links has given rise to a relatively new form of internet advertising where you pay a fee each time your ad is clicked on. PPC is a performance-based form of internet advertising. If the listing doesn't get clicked, you don't pay. Advertisers bid on keywords and their listings are ranked according to the bid amounts.

Conclusion

Internet advertising has evolved considerably since the early days, and it will continue to evolve even more as technology and user expectations change. You'll always get more for your internet advertising dollar if you keep up with changes in user perception and stay informed about the cutting edge in internet advertising techniques.