Managing Banner Spaces and Configuring Individual Ads
Following the Banner Ad Size Configuration step is the Banner Ad Management that specifies the type of spaces available in your website design for use with your banner ads. The Banner Ad Management will also specify the frequency an Ad will show, the start and end dates (if any) and the maximum impressions (viewings) or maximum clicks (if any).
Typically Banner spaces are named in the design process - like: Left Panel, Top Banner, Centre Section or Footer Ads. Like the Ad Size Configuration, careful attention is needed to designing and saving styles for the Ad spaces to draw on.
The panel displaying Banner ads includes the following details:
- Weight - this determined the frequency an ad will appear - if all are numbered the same, they will appear at the same frequency. If one is numbered higher, it will appear MORE frequently that the lower weighted ads.
- Impressions - a quick visual count of the number of times the Ad has been shown
- Clicks - a quick visual count of the number of click-throughs an Ad has received
- Active - a quick visual of whether the Ad is active and is being displayed in placement cycles or not
- Status - a quick visual of whether an Ad is 'live' and ready for Active service, or still under construction
- Edit - edit the Ad details
- Delete - delete the Ad (Warning. This is permanent)
Configure a new Ad object into a Banner Space
- Click Add Banner
- Name your Ad
- Confirm the Group that the Ad is to be placed in
- Confirm the size category that the Ad is designed for
- Set the Banner Type: Choose from: Commercial Service (eg AdSense) Local File, Flash File, Javascript
- Set the file Name/Location entry. This is critical for the Ad to be found by the website page, and therefore to be displayed
- The Click Destination URL is the web link where the user will be sent to if they click on the Ad
- Display weight is where the relative number of times placed will be set
- Display dates can be used for an Ad campaign with a limited time frame - for example to advertise a competition
- Max Impressions is an optional field if the Ad will fulfil it's purpose or contract after a specified number of presentations to users. If this is not required, leave set to a value of 0.
- Max Clicks is an optional field if the Ad will filfil it's purpose or contract after a specified number of click throughs. If this is not required, leave set to a value of 0.
- Click Save
Best practice for Stats collection of banner management is to exclude the Clients own IP, the Server / Website provider IP and all 'bot' IP's. This may need to be refined over time.
NOTE:! If you have your own IP excluded from your sites Banner stats you cannot 'test click' banners on your site.
Return to the Banner Management page, and tick Status to confim the Ad for inclusion in auto-placement
Once site level Ad Size and Banner Management steps are complete, use the Add Content menu and place Advertising Content.