Do you track banner performance?

Useless · 2005-03-25, 10:41 AM

I've just recently installed phpadsnew so I can easily toss banners left and right across my (non)traffic producing sites. I've been looking at the stats it produces which reports both adviews (the number of times a banner has been displayed) and adclicks (the number of times the banner has been clicked). This seems pretty damned nifty. One could monitor these values and easily determine which banners produce clicks and which ones just take up space. One could then delete the completely suck-ass banners and add 'weight' to the banners which produce more clicks. This would have to lead to more effective advertising.

So, the question is, do any of you do this or do you just toss up banners and keep your fingers crossed like I have always done?

MadMax · 2005-03-25, 10:47 AM

I use the hell out of it, though not as much as I should. When I'm deploying ads on a new page I always make sure that each ad spot has 5-6 niche targeted ads in rotation, then I leave them for a month. When I come back to check ad performance 2 or 3 weeks later I look at CTR for each ad spot, and I usually have one ad performing great, 2-3 performing OK and 1-2 that are for shit and get dropped. It's help me fine tune traffic to sponsors immensely

cd34 · 2005-03-25, 10:47 AM

I believe your approach is a good one, however, I have found in the past that clickthrough performance != sales performance.

A lower clickthrough banner might actually convert a surfer better than a higher-clickthrough banner. So, to throw a monkey wrench into the works, you might also try to determine a gut feeling about a particular banner's performance.

A really blind banner will have a much higher clickthrough ratio, but, misleading the surfer to a sponsor tour generally doesn't earn the sale.

Useless · 2005-03-25, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cd34

performance != sales performance.

Damned coder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cd34

A really blind banner will have a much higher clickthrough ratio, but, misleading the surfer to a sponsor tour generally doesn't earn the sale.

Very good point. I hadn't reached that far in thought process yet.

MadMax · 2005-03-25, 12:28 PM

Since I don't use blind links that's not a concern for me

ronnie · 2005-03-25, 01:07 PM

Oh ya, have been tracking banners for a long time. Dont see why people would'nt. Ads are the most important part of what we do. The more clicks we get to the sponsor, the more we should make.

I see SO many people that dont, they just throw up some ads and they are done.

That can probably be true, about a banner, though it might have high clicks, does'nt mean it is doing it's job. But ya gotta start somewhere..

And phpadsnew rocks! I've been using it before it was "new", would'nt be without it.

ronnie

Jel · 2005-03-25, 01:00 PM

phpadsnew - great program

Here's a tip you may find handy - make all your ads in html, even if it's just to hold the banner in place. Instead of pulling a 'fresh' banner every time from your database, same-surfers get the cached image if seeing it twice, cutting down on bandwidth. Least I think that's how it works

tjchuck · 2005-03-25, 05:07 PM

I would like to be able to track my banners and phpadnews sounds like a great program.

Is this phpasdnews expensive?

And could someone with not too much computer experience be able to handle it?

ronnie · 2005-03-25, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjchuck

I would like to be able to track my banners and phpadnews sounds like a great program.

Is this phpasdnews expensive?

And could someone with not too much computer experience be able to handle it?

phpadsnew is free. One of it's great features. I have not really used the newer version, so I am not much help. I use a much older one. But I know a bunch of people use the new one here.

ronnie

Useless · 2005-03-25, 07:29 PM

For those interested...http://phpadsnew.com/two/

stuveltje · 2005-03-25, 07:35 PM

i started to use phpadsnew on one of my ex linksites and i didnt like it ses wise, so i go with the old coding...still think if that was wise desicion..ses wise think yes, making it myself easier i think no |cool|

tjchuck · 2005-03-25, 07:42 PM

Thanks for the info, I think I will check it out.

Cleo · 2005-03-25, 07:46 PM

I do over at my LL. PhpAdsNew is very good.

All html ads. Not really that found of doing it with JavaScript invocation but it seems like the only way to get it to work well with html ads.

dareutwo · 2005-03-25, 08:36 PM

I just run it on Marks but not free sites.
After about 6 months, aside from rotating the banners, I find it less and less useful.
ie.. comparing a text only link vs a flash add vs a flash ad with text below.

I find it useless on free sites.
Some sites list higher on New etc.. who is viewing the ad, way too many variables to try to accuractely account for.

If you have a steady stream of traffic to a specific location.. LL, Hub, etc.
Then it's fine IMO. But because it works there, does NOT mean it works on free sites or galleries.

I don't have 3 scripts installed to track, LL, free site, tgp traffic, though time consuming it may be fun to check out.

2005-03-25, 10:41 AM	#1
Useless Certified Nice Person Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Dirty Undies, NY Posts: 11,268	Do you track banner performance? I've just recently installed phpadsnew so I can easily toss banners left and right across my (non)traffic producing sites. I've been looking at the stats it produces which reports both adviews (the number of times a banner has been displayed) and adclicks (the number of times the banner has been clicked). This seems pretty damned nifty. One could monitor these values and easily determine which banners produce clicks and which ones just take up space. One could then delete the completely suck-ass banners and add 'weight' to the banners which produce more clicks. This would have to lead to more effective advertising. So, the question is, do any of you do this or do you just toss up banners and keep your fingers crossed like I have always done? __________________ Click here to purchase a bridge I'm selling.

2005-03-25, 10:47 AM	#3
cd34 a.k.a. Sparky Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: West Palm Beach, FL, USA Posts: 2,396	I believe your approach is a good one, however, I have found in the past that clickthrough performance != sales performance. A lower clickthrough banner might actually convert a surfer better than a higher-clickthrough banner. So, to throw a monkey wrench into the works, you might also try to determine a gut feeling about a particular banner's performance. A really blind banner will have a much higher clickthrough ratio, but, misleading the surfer to a sponsor tour generally doesn't earn the sale. __________________ SnapReplay.com a different way to share photos - iPhone & Android

2005-03-25, 07:29 PM	#10
Useless Certified Nice Person Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Dirty Undies, NY Posts: 11,268	For those interested...http://phpadsnew.com/two/ __________________ Click here to purchase a bridge I'm selling.

2005-03-25, 07:35 PM	#11
stuveltje Live and learn. And take very careful notes! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Sunny Holland Posts: 6,157	i started to use phpadsnew on one of my ex linksites and i didnt like it ses wise, so i go with the old coding...still think if that was wise desicion..ses wise think yes, making it myself easier i think no \|cool\| __________________ Canadian Sexlinks - submit Erotica search -submit

2005-03-25, 07:46 PM	#13
Cleo Subversive filth of the hedonistic decadent West Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Southeast Florida Posts: 27,936	I do over at my LL. PhpAdsNew is very good. All html ads. Not really that found of doing it with JavaScript invocation but it seems like the only way to get it to work well with html ads. __________________ Free Rides on Uber and Lyft Uber Car: uberTzTerri Lyft Car: TZ896289

2005-03-25, 10:47 AM	#2
MadMax "Without evil there can be no good, so it must be good to be evil sometimes" ~ Satan Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Motor City, baby, where carjacking was invented! Now GIMME THOSE SHOES! Posts: 2,385	I use the hell out of it, though not as much as I should. When I'm deploying ads on a new page I always make sure that each ad spot has 5-6 niche targeted ads in rotation, then I leave them for a month. When I come back to check ad performance 2 or 3 weeks later I look at CTR for each ad spot, and I usually have one ad performing great, 2-3 performing OK and 1-2 that are for shit and get dropped. It's help me fine tune traffic to sponsors immensely

2005-03-25, 12:28 PM	#5
MadMax "Without evil there can be no good, so it must be good to be evil sometimes" ~ Satan Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Motor City, baby, where carjacking was invented! Now GIMME THOSE SHOES! Posts: 2,385	Since I don't use blind links that's not a concern for me

2005-03-25, 01:07 PM	#6
ronnie Wheither you think you can or you think you can't, Your right. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: midwest Posts: 2,274	Oh ya, have been tracking banners for a long time. Dont see why people would'nt. Ads are the most important part of what we do. The more clicks we get to the sponsor, the more we should make. I see SO many people that dont, they just throw up some ads and they are done. That can probably be true, about a banner, though it might have high clicks, does'nt mean it is doing it's job. But ya gotta start somewhere.. And phpadsnew rocks! I've been using it before it was "new", would'nt be without it. ronnie

2005-03-25, 01:00 PM	#7
Jel I'm the only guy in the world who has to wake up to have a nightmare Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: London, United Kingdom Posts: 1,895	phpadsnew - great program Here's a tip you may find handy - make all your ads in html, even if it's just to hold the banner in place. Instead of pulling a 'fresh' banner every time from your database, same-surfers get the cached image if seeing it twice, cutting down on bandwidth. Least I think that's how it works

2005-03-25, 05:07 PM	#8
tjchuck And Lord, we are especially thankful for nuclear power, the cleanest, safest energy source there is. Except for solar, which is just a pipe dream Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 225	I would like to be able to track my banners and phpadnews sounds like a great program. Is this phpasdnews expensive? And could someone with not too much computer experience be able to handle it?

2005-03-25, 07:42 PM	#12
tjchuck And Lord, we are especially thankful for nuclear power, the cleanest, safest energy source there is. Except for solar, which is just a pipe dream Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 225	Thanks for the info, I think I will check it out.

2005-03-25, 08:36 PM	#14
dareutwo You can't disprove anything with evidence that doesn't exist Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: NW Minnesota - pop 865 +/- 1 Posts: 2,038	I just run it on Marks but not free sites. After about 6 months, aside from rotating the banners, I find it less and less useful. ie.. comparing a text only link vs a flash add vs a flash ad with text below. I find it useless on free sites. Some sites list higher on New etc.. who is viewing the ad, way too many variables to try to accuractely account for. If you have a steady stream of traffic to a specific location.. LL, Hub, etc. Then it's fine IMO. But because it works there, does NOT mean it works on free sites or galleries. I don't have 3 scripts installed to track, LL, free site, tgp traffic, though time consuming it may be fun to check out. __________________ This is me Mark's-Links