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Proper Rate Setting 101

by Why9999
8 replies
Help! I've got a small-medium niche blog that I have grown steadily and am up to about 400 visitors per day. Nothing spectacular, I know, but I have steady traffic, decent page hits/visitor and solid average time/page. In addition, my site has become somewhat of an authority site in my niche.

Well, I finally had someone write me and ask what my rates are for advertising on my site. This completely surprised me and so I'd like to kind of know what I'm talking about.

How do most sites set up rates for a side bar or banner advertisement? Is it per month? Per week?

What's a good standard rate for a starter site like mine that won't put the person off?

If anyone can tell me what the typical "industry standards" and protocols for this are, I would sure appreciate it.
#101 #proper #rate #setting
  • Profile picture of the author Melanie Mendelson
    The basic rate is $1 CPM (per 1000 impressions), so in your case it would be $12/month. If your blog is high quality and targeted, you can always ask for more.

    Before running any ads, think about the purpose of your blog. Is it to build your list and sell your own stuff? Or do you want to make money advertising other people's stuff?

    Other people's ads will dillute your own conversions and take away visitors. Make sure that the money that you are getting makes it worthwhile.
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    • Profile picture of the author Why9999
      Originally Posted by Melanie Mendelson View Post

      The basic rate is $1 CPM (per 1000 impressions), so in your case it would be $12/month. If your blog is high quality and targeted, you can always ask for more.

      Before running any ads, think about the purpose of your blog. Is it to build your list and sell your own stuff? Or do you want to make money advertising other people's stuff?

      Other people's ads will dillute your own conversions and take away visitors. Make sure that the money that you are getting makes it worthwhile.
      Thx so much for the info and persepective. I do sell an ebook on my site and it does, of course, do way more than $12/month. However, I have a lot of realty that could be used for other things as well.

      What I was really worried about also was primarily the quality of the site that wanted to advertise.
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      • Profile picture of the author Lance K
        Forget $1 CPM with that amount of traffic. I wouldn't do it for less than $50/month. Unless you really need the $12. Do it on a month to month basis so you can adjust as you (hopefully) get more traffic.

        And I'd only do it on a 1 month trial basis to start with. Test to see how the presence of the ad affects the sales of your ebook.

        As for the quality of the site that wants to advertise...no need to worry. If it's not up to your standards, you don't have to sell them ad space.
        Signature
        "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
        ~ Zig Ziglar
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        • Profile picture of the author Why9999
          Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

          Forget $1 CPM with that amount of traffic. I wouldn't do it for less than $50/month. Unless you really need the $12. Do it on a month to month basis so you can adjust as you (hopefully) get more traffic.

          And I'd only do it on a 1 month trial basis to start with. Test to see how the presence of the ad affects the sales of your ebook.

          As for the quality of the site that wants to advertise...no need to worry. If it's not up to your standards, you don't have to sell them ad space.
          I'd already thought of asking more as I know my niche can be quite profitable, so thx for confirming. For example, I used to run adsense on my site and would quite often get 50 cents/click or even a dollar per click. But I took it off because a lot of times they were advertising for things that opposed the very information on my site!

          But I wanted a baseline so I didn't ask the ridiculous.

          Yes, absolutely on your last comment. I can't have an authority site with hypster advertising.
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      • Profile picture of the author Melanie Mendelson
        Originally Posted by Why9999 View Post

        What I was really worried about also was primarily the quality of the site that wanted to advertise.
        Don't let them advertise on your site. You'll trash your own reputation and lose more in sales then you'll make for advertising.

        And when it comes to things like this, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT.
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        • Profile picture of the author Why9999
          Originally Posted by Melanie Mendelson View Post

          Don't let them advertise on your site. You'll trash your own reputation and lose more in sales then you'll make for advertising.

          And when it comes to things like this, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT.
          You could be right. I'm pretty picky as it is. For example, I've had people ask me for link exchanges and I have almost without exception turned them down because the quality of their site was so low comparitively.

          Hmmm. So you could be right I admit!
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  • Profile picture of the author KathyK
    Look at their site, if it's quality and complements what your site is about (and isn't a direct competitor), by all means take the ad.

    If not, don't.
    Signature

    Cheers,
    Kathy

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    • Profile picture of the author Why9999
      Guys,

      Thx for the great responses and helping out a newbie. I think I've got the right frame of reference now to answer semi-intelligently.
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