Buying Advertising Online

by Chris

Buying Advertising Online (Part One)

Here are some questions I recommend you ask when buying online advertising.

Q: How much traffic will you sent to my site?

Between 10 and 20 visitors a week is a worthwhile investment in my mind. More… even better!

That’s 500+ brides/grooms a year! Obviously, it depends a bit on the investment. Keep in mind, it’s very important that your site can convert traffic into inquiries or leads – otherwise you’re wasting your money advertising online.

Paying between .10 cents and .40 cents per click for qualified traffic is very realistic – actually, cheap.

Q: Where do you get your traffic?

Get specifics and then confirm this information. If it’s all from search engines it raises an eyebrow for me.

Don’t be mislead with crap like “Our site has an Alexa Rating of xyz”. Alexa rankings, in my opinion, mean very little.

Traffic is useless unless it’s HIGH QUALITY traffic. Make sure you know what you’re buying!

Q: Will you send brides directly to my site? Do you use frames or pop-ups?

Frames or “pop-ups” can reduce the effectiveness of your online advertising. Frames may make it difficult to experience the full presentation of your web site and are distracting to the visiting user.

Pop-ups (using Javascript) can be blocked and are blocked by browser toolbars from Google and Bing. These can reduce the effectiveness of any advertising you buy.

Ask for and get a direct link to your website – and then test it once your ad is running.

Q: How much does it cost?

You can expect to pay between $150 to $700+/year for a link and listing with a good online directory or at one of the major online wedding sites.

Let’s say you spend $200.00 and get 1000 bride/groom visitors over the course of the year. Convert only 5% of those into inquiries and then customers and you’ve probably made a pretty solid investment. Again, it’s all about conversion.

Q: How do you list your advertisers?

Some directories list advertisers alphabetically. Obviously, this can significantly reduce the visibility for your advertising.

Q: Do you offer a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) option?

Paying “per click” for brides and grooms is smart advertising. It’s performance based and it can be very effective. As previously mentioned, your site has to be able to convert traffic into inquiries or phone calls.

If you’re not happy with the results you’re getting from your current website, or the results you’re getting from your Internet marketing, I can help. My clients read like a Who’s Who list of top ranked sites at Google and their websites turn the brides who visit into inquiries, phone calls, and sales. If you want to use the Internet more effectively and BOOK MORE WEDDINGS, drop me a line using the inquiry form below or call me at (866) 652-7791 x701.