Banners

If your website is free through a large site, like Geocities or Xoom, you may not have a choice about having a banner on your website. It's part of the agreement for allowing you to build a website. It's their way of advertising and creating brand-awareness.

Exchange Banners

These advertisements can only be placed on your website by your invitation. Your banner will be placed on another website. You may or may not have any control over who advertises on your site and where your advertisements are displayed.

Associate Banners

You allow these advertisements to be placed on your website with the intention of earning money whenever a visitor clicks on them. The amount of money you make varies. Some advertisers will pay you a penny or two just for the "click-through" others don't pay a dime unless the visitor buys something from them.

Links

A link is similar to a banner, but less flashy. Usually a simple button or word will take you to a different site when you click on it. Most links are reciprocal. I put a link on my page to your page and you do the same for me. Also links are part of a web ring. Each forward link takes you to another site in the ring. Click on random and you will end up on any site!

If you did not design your own website, the company that did may put a small logo with a link to their website.

What does this do for me?

I could hear you asking that question. The answer is very simple…it all depends.

Start with the reason you decided to get a website. Was it to promote your business or someone else's? Do you want your visitors to stay and explore what you have to offer, or leave before they even get to know you? Do you want them to leave, after they have made a decision to buy something and their leaving ensures that you get credit for the purchase?

Unless you have an associate agreement with another website, like amazon.com, every time your visitor sees a banner or a link on your site, he is tempted to leave. If he leaves, you have just lost business. Think about it…when was the last time that you were in a retail store and looked up on the wall only to see a poster describing the good at a store on the next block? Probably never. That's because retail merchants have paid a lot of money for their storefront and the merchandise in the store. They don't want you to take your business elsewhere. The same is true about the web. Once a customer finds your site, do everything you can to keep him there and keep him coming back. Don't flash an exciting advertisement that is only meant to take him away!