This article was written by Ted Dhanik
If you want your campaigns to bring you the maximum return, you need to enlist the help of a few tools designed for competitive research. From tracking code to competitive research tools, if you’re not enlisting help, you’re costing yourself time and money. You can get a lot more done, helping your display advertising campaigns grow into new niches, if you know what to look for.
Tracking Code
Google Analytics is the code most sites use, but it’s not the only one. There are trackers built into the ad networks you use, or you could assign your own parameters to your URLs. These parameters are important because they help you identify which campaigns have the highest likelihood for success. Analytics is powerful because of the events feature, which can help you track intangible objects on your home page. You can find out how customers react to your video or audio, pinpointing exactly where they hit play or pause.
There are several tools for keyword research. Google offers a free one, as does Bing, but you will need an account with their advertising services to use it. Free tools make keyword suggestions, and still more tools will actually analyze what your competition is bidding on. If you know which keywords are hot, you can use those terms on less-competitive banner advertising networks to net big conversions at a lower cost.
Banner Research
The standard search tool is your best friend here, but there are a lot of ways to find offers that are working. You can check with affiliate networks to see which banners are top performers, or review popular websites like CNN or MSN Money to see which offers run in the margins. Then you can use those banners as a starting point, or design your own based on what you see.
Bio: Ted Dhanik is a sales and marketing professional with fifteen years in digital media. Having helped large brands like MySpace, Ted Dhanik knows how to effectively utilize display advertising. Find more tips on display advertising when you visit Ted Dhanik online.