To learn how to build your own six figure home business, subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
When I ask this question, I usually get quite a few different answers, and most of them are arguable:
What is the most valuable asset to your business?
In other words, let’s say someone wanted to buy your site/business tomorrow. What would make it worth more than the next guy’s?
Ask yourself that question. What is your answer? Usually I get answers like "My list", "My readers" (which is the same thing as a list), "Pageviews", "Traffic", "My Brand", or something else along those lines.
I would agree that your most valuable asset is branding, readership, loyalty, or a list, which are basically synonomous with each other. One begets the other. Are we in agreement so far? Hang with me, I have a point here.
So let’s say Joe Visitor happens on your website from Google or some other random link. After they’re done reading what you put in front of them, what are their options ? They can hit the back button, click on a link, make a purchase, or sign up on a form. That’s basically it.
We’re all in agreement that you don’t want them to hit the back button (or close their browser) and the only way to stop that is to entertain and engage the visitor. Check. So that leaves clicking on a link, making a purchase, or signing up on a form. Which of these makes your business more valuable? Both making a purchase, and as we discussed above, signing up on a form. So why then, would you place advertising on your blog where you only get maybe 50% of what the click is worth?
Every once in awhile you stumble upon someone who "gets it" with respect to building a business and advertising. Chad’s post talks about how Adsense will pay you maybe 25% of what you’re actually worth as a blog, and while you may not think so, you can charge quite a bit for advertising. I wholeheartedly agree, and Chad’s someone I think you should listen to - he’s a marketing manager for b5Media.
In fact, I go as far as even saying that you should not place advertising on your site until you have a solid, loyal readership. Why would you send someone off to another site, never to hear back from them again, when you can just as easily turn them into a loyal reader? Is that $0.23 cent click really worth it? Is that how little you value your readers?
I will say, and Chad points out, that Ad Cents has its place. And it does. Just not for new sites, and not at the top of the page. It’s called remnant advertising and you should implement it while closely tracking your profits. It may very well have a negative effect on your readership/profit.
- Blog Advertising for Advertising Sake
- How to Beat the Google Slap with 5 Simple Steps…
- 5 Surprising Traffic Secrets
- Quite Possibly the Best Thing to Happen to You…
- Money Is No Object When You’re a Successful Entrepreneur
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 Filed under: Blogging, List Building, Starting Up by Bryan
