http://www.dnmcomputers.net/wordpress-adserve/
Powerful Free Adserver
I paid hundreds of Dollars for link tracking and split testing software, before I heard about power of the Openx ad serving software, which I use now to manage all kind of banners and affiliate links on my websites.
Manage All Ads From a Single Interface
OpenX structures ad serving by defining ad spaces on a web page, and connect the spaces to advertisers and banners. An advertisement can be a picture, html code, javascript, flash object, or plain text. The adserver manages, which banner appears on which ad space how often.
Manage Ads by Viewer Location and Language Preference
I can also display banners according to the browser language of my viewer or according to his geographical location. I do not want to not bother a German visitor with an offer for a vitamin supplement out of his reach because of his government's customs regulations. And I do not offer that Spanish language ebook to visitor, whose language preference is Russian. The better I target the ads the more conversions I will get.
Manage Campaigns by Time
If needed, I define a time frame for the an ad campaign. A time limited offer will no longer show up after the end of the sale. If no ad is available for a zone, e.g. because the maximum number of impressions is exhausted for each ad, nothing will be shown. But since I like to use my ad space, I define a Google Adwords banner as a default ad for the zone, and display Google ads if no other banner is available.
Pick the Winners, Drop the Flops
But there is more: The adserver generates a set of statistics. I know in detail each banner's impressions, clicks and conversions. Using these stats, I can easily determine, which banner is profitable, and which one is a waste of time and space.
The statistics allow me to set up a formal banner management. I ad and remove banners and affiliate programs based on real information, not guesswork. This improves my negotiation position with the advertiser. I know how many visitors I sent to him. And I have a clear idea, what I can get, if I replace his offer.
Hide Affiliate Links
The adserver has an additional advantage: My visitor cannot see the affiliate link. If he wants to see the offer behind the ad, he has to click on it. This means I will be credited for the lead or sale.
Let me give a short recap:
An adserver allows me to
- rotate ads from different vendors
- limit the time frame of campaigns.
- limit the number of impressions for each banner.
- measure the performance of each ad.
- if I have access to the sale page, measure conversions for each ad.
- manage ad impressions by location of your visitor.
- manage ad impressions by language of the viewer.
- hide the url of the landing page of the ad.
Easy Installation
I need just a hosting account with php and mysql to run my openx server. Installation of OpenX is about as simple as setting up Wordpress. Basic installation without plug-ins does not even take 30 minutes. You can get the server for free at http://www.openx.org.
About the Author
Johannes Stockburger is an internet marketer with special focus on travel information. To learn more about the OpenX adserver visit http://www.jstockburger.com.
