Make Money From Your Site

Here are some of the companies I use to make money from Wicked Moon. If you find the list useful, please use the links below to sign up.

Banner ad networks:

ValueClick Media: Banner ads, leaderboards, tower ads, interstitials, InVues, you name it they have it. Wide range of ad formats organised around one of the best user interfaces you will find. One of the biggest ad networks with all the tools you need for optimising your revenues.

Casale: Banner ad network, similar to ValueClick. Typically, you will try and sign up with more than one ad network, as you can use the ads from one as the default ads on another. Default ads display when there are no others to choose from.

Google AdSense: Google do offer banner graphic formats, like ValueClick and Casale, though usually you will see their text link format across sites. If you want to construct an argument as to why online advertising is useful to people, and not just an invasive eyesore, then you can mention Google AdSense. Sign up for Google AdSense below:

Lead generation networks:

MaxBounty: A bit more hard work, as generally you'd choose the ads you want to run and even then, you only get paid if someone signs up (for a newsletter, download etc). With ValueClick and Casale you just fire and forget, the code takes care of itself, rotating ads and paying you by the impression and sometimes click. Lead generation networks fill a hole though, so long as you choose campaigns that fit the theme of your site. Typically, you place the campaigns within your copy, matching up the campaign to the surrounding content. Good for newsletter ads too (you can't use ValueClick and Casale within emails. ValueClick do have a lead generation login, but I'm talking here about their so called display advertising).

PrimaryAds: Another good lead generation network.

With lead generation, I'd recommend just using the ads from one network. It's hard enough making money from lead generation, without spreading what money you do make across several networks. There are many lead generation networks out there and all have a good spread of advertisers.

Search advertising:

Searchfeed: With search advertising, you're paid if users click on your search results. For example, I can place keyphrases like online dating or greeting cards on my site. When you click on the search results, I get paid. Searchfeed are highly customisable. You can host the search results page on your site and completely edit the template.

RevenuePilot: An alternative to Searchfeed.

Free Website Content

Card Fountain: Free ecards for your site. Well developed ecard affiliate program, with extensive co-branding features to match the look and feel of your site. The easy to integrate feeds automatically provide the latest top ecards, upcoming holidays etc. There's other content besides ecards, including Flash wallpapers, printable calendars and more.

Art.com: Commissions for each poster and print you sell through your site. It's important to select posters that fit the theme of your site and not be seduced by the fact that they have tens of thousands of posters. Placing as many posters as possible on your site won't increase your sales, unless you have a site completely dedicated to posters.

Promote Your Site

Self Promotion: Just about everything I'd spent years learning about site promotion, I found condensed into this one site. It's maintained by a guy passionate about what he does. The pages are long, but its conversational style will introduce you to everything you need to learn about getting hits to your site. Includes many automated tools for site submission.

Accept Credit Cards

2checkout: I've used WorldPay, but found 2checkout better (and cheaper). If you want to process credit cards on your site, they're worth a look.