Virtual Entrepreneur

USA Today:
You see them on just about every website. They lurk at the side or the top of the page. Some are static, others blink, flash, even float across your monitor. Some pop up, blocking your view of the website you’re trying to visit or sticking around after you’ve closed a site.

Online ads are everywhere, and while they might seem annoying, they’re often effective. Isn’t it time you considered online advertising for your small business?

Sure, you may find an ad intrusive, but perhaps you remember the name of the company in the ad, or – if the ad is appealing enough – you actually click on it, going to the advertiser’s website.

Moreover, Internet advertising is often cost-effective. With online ads, you can get detailed information on how many people have seen your ads (impressions) and how many have clicked through to your website. In fact, with some types of Web advertising, you pay only when someone clicks through to your website, meaning you’re definitely getting attention for your bucks.

Even if you dislike the type of ad that pops up or floats across a Web page, it’s a good bet that there’s lots of other online ads that you – and others like you – are actually glad to see. Keep in mind there are lots of different advertising opportunities on the Web – many of them extremely affordable for small businesses.

Two of the best choices on online advertising options for small companies are portal/directory ads and search-engine marketing:

* Web portals/directories listings: Let’s say you’re looking for environmentally sensitive products. You want to find solar-powered heating, energy-efficient lights or recycled building materials. When you come across a website with lists and descriptions of environmental products you can buy, you’re thrilled. You don’t care that these companies have paid to be listed; you’re just glad to have all these resources in one location.

Portals and directories are online hubs where users come to look for specific information, products or services – usually around a common theme, topic, product or location. For small businesses, these can be effective and affordable places to advertise your product or service, especially if you have a clearly defined target market and a portal/directory site that does a good job of generating Web traffic.

A couple of examples: www.DeliciousItaly.com, a portal attracting visitors interested in travel, food and culture in Italy, and www.VRBO.com, a directory listing vacation properties rented out by owners.

Continue reading Rhonda Abraham’s article.

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