While we do promote our web-hosting provider Pair Networks via their independent affiliate program, we primarily depend upon the following programs to generate the bulk of our advertising revenues:
Google AdSense provides content based text ads that are pay per click. It is our single biggest source of advertising revenue and is very simple to implement. Once you have been approved for the AdSense program you can log into the Google AdSense control panel and create the banner code you want to use. You simply paste this code into the proper place on your site and Google AdSense does the rest. The important factor behind this program is that the pages you put the banner on must have sufficient content for Google AdSense to determine what ads to display. If Google AdSense cannot determine what ads to display or there are no ads related to a given page to display, public service announcements (PSAs) that generate no revenue for Google or the web publisher are displayed instead. As an option to PSAs, the web publisher can specify an alternative ad to be used instead.
One word of warning, Google takes a dim view on fraud. As such one should NEVER click on ads within their own AdSense banners.
AffiliateFuel is our second most important source of advertising revenues behind Google AdSense. Like Google AdSense, AffiliateFuel is an ad broker who works to aggregate a large number of different advertisers for their publishers. Normally, advertising campaigns within the AffiliateFuel system are pay per lead or pay per sale. We really like AffiliateFuel because they work with advertisers to not only create compelling banner ads, but to optimize the landing page for the ads to improve the performance of the ad campaign. Other things that are really nice about AffiliateFuel is that they assign each publisher their own account manager and they go out of their way to protect publishers from unscrupulous tactics (like scumware).
AffiliateFuel does have high standards, but if a site can qualify for the AffiliateFuel program it will be worthwhile. We really like the way AffilateFuel treats us and listens to our concerns. We favor their ads over other affiliate programs specifically because of how well they treat us.
LinkShare is another affiliate program that we make some use of from time to time. It is a good program if you have a site that works well with programs that are based on sales commissions.
Amazon.com's associates program was one of the first programs of its kind and is often times the model upon which other programs were designed. While the Amazon.com Associates program was traditionally one of our best performing sources of advertising revenue, this is no longer the case. Due to constant changes with their system, it has become harder and harder to earn a reasonable return with this program. We do continue to use it, however, because the ability to recommend books related to the topic of any given webpage or website is a useful service for visitors to our websites. As with any advertising program, it is important to know a website's audience when choosing what products to promote.
One note of caution, one is not allowed to purchase items through their own Amazon.com Associate links.
