Long gone are the days when traditional advertising — like radio, TV, or billboards — was the only way for advertisers to reach their target audiences. Along with the advent and popularity of the Internet came the ability to market products and services in an entirely new way by adding advertisements to websites. That’s where online publishers come in.
Publishers can monetize their site(s) by using website ads, and advertisers can target their ads to specific users through this medium. Many publishers have generated a lot of revenue from website ads, but there can be confusion about implementing them. Here’s what you should keep in mind when considering how to monetize your sites with ads.
How Website Ads Work
As you visit different websites, you’ll frequently see online ads. When you pay close attention to them, you realize that those ads aren’t random. Instead, they are potential products or services that best match your unique personal profile and sometimes have you wondering if there might just be someone listening to everything you’re saying.
A large number of these ads are powered by header bidding, a programmatic advertising technique. It allows publishers to offer their inventory (total amount of space a publisher has on their site for ads) to multiple ad exchanges (a platform that buys and sells ads to multiple advertisers) simultaneously before sending requests to ad servers (ex. Google Ad Manager). After the space is auctioned off, the ad server determines the most valuable creative and then serves it.
This is all initiated by a piece of Javascript in the head of a publisher’s page. It runs a real-time auction and allows buyers to bid on advertising. All of the steps we’ve discussed happen within a matter of seconds.
The Benefit of Placing Ads on Your Website
It’s safe to say that the main benefit of placing ads on your website is the ability to make money from users accessing your site. This revenue means you’re able to pay for the costs associated with maintaining a website like platform fees, hiring a writer or graphic designer, or even paying yourself.
Implementing Website Ads on Your Site(s)
If you’re new to monetizing your site with ads, the easiest and most common ways to get started are by using either a self-guided advertising platform (ex. Google AdSense), creating your own ad server or a managed service Ad Ops provider (ex. Freestar).
- Google AdSense is a free and easy way to display targeted ads on your site — Google manages everything involved, from collecting money to maintaining relationships with advertisers. This is a great place for a new or small-sized publisher to start, and get instant and automatic access to a huge source of advertiser demand. This means competition for your ad spaces, more relevant ads, and the ability to monetize your content.
- If you prefer to have someone else take care of your ad operations, you can work with an Ad Ops provider to manage your website’s ads. An added benefit is that they have existing relationships with several ad networks and can manage those relationships on behalf of your site. With an Ad Ops partner, you can focus on what you do best, like creating content, and not worry about managing the technical or logistical aspects of your website’s ads.
Selling ad space with an Ad Ops partner is simple and easy, and ensures that you’re maximizing your website’s ad earning potential. Plus, our customized report dashboards provide you with insights on which advertising partners and optimizations work best with your site(s).
Putting It All Together
As a website publisher, you can benefit from a whole new way to make money from your website(s).