Online advertising is an industry that generates $1.8 billion dollars per year, and believe me, you ain't seen nothing yet! Many, if not most, Web sites are supported by advertising, including the one you're looking at right now. And while some industries, notably consumer products, have yet to take a big plunge into the medium, others, such as computer-oriented companies, have been advertising heavily on the Internet for some time. So there's a huge demand for information about this red-hot field from both would-be sellers and would-be buyers of advertising. This comprehensive and well-written book should satisfy both groups.
October 25, 1999
Whether you're a buyer or sell of online advertising, this fine new book should have the answers you need.
Advertisng on the Internet
by Robin Zeff and Brad Aronson
418 Pages
ISBN: 0-471-34404-4
1999
Price: $24.99
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10158-0012
212-850-6336
212-850-6799 (fax)
The book begins with some stats on the growth of online advertising, lists of the top 50 advertisers and publishers, and so forth. Next is a comparison of online advertising with other more traditional media, a short history of online ads, and a discussion of the various different types of online ads (banners, mailing list ads, sponsorships, etc.).
Chapters include:
Online Ad Models
Internet Direct Marketing
The Art and Science of Web Measurement
Ad Management
Targeting
Pricing Online Ads
Market Research
Buying Online Ads
Selling Online Ads
Going Local
International Online Ads
Legal Issues
How to Advertise Free or Almost Free - This is a discussion of how to promote your site by submitting to search engines, soliciting links, etc.
Each chapter is comprehensive and well-organized. There are plenty of helpful illustrations, and many of the chapters wrap up with an editorial or two from leading industry figures. Each chapter is also peppered with facts and figures, including results of consumer surveys on various advertising-related issues, and URLs of Web sites that exemplify the techniques discussed.
The chapter on Pricing Online Ads is very good. It contains objective information about the different types of pricing models, including accurate ball-park figures on what various types of sites are charging. This is refreshing, considering the huge amount of nonsense that has been written on the subject by pundits with an ax to grind, particularly the "banner ads are dead" crowd.
The only complaint I have is that the chapter on Ad Management is quite scanty. Some, but by no means all, of the major ad management packages are briefly mentioned, but there are no real world details about how they work. As many large companies have learned to their cost, some of the high-priced ad management systems require teams of techies to set up, and work poorly or not at all. If you'd like a comprehensive listing of ad management software, and some hints on how to select one, there are some recent articles here on Internet.com for you.
Advertising on the Internet contains a huge list of advertising-related Web sites, as well as a glossary of online advertising terms.
This is the kind of book we like - it covers the subject matter thoroughly, with lots of facts and little fluff. It's up to date (as much as can be expected from a printed medium), well-edited and just well done in general. Whether you're on the selling side of the online ad game, the buying side, or both, you'll find Advertising on the Internet to be well worth your 25 clams.
Advertisng on the Internet
