If you don’t need website traffic, you’re probably not a web developer. Most of us in the Web Development community are always looking for good ways to attract visitors. Be it a growing forum looking for members, or an e-retail shop, we’re all in a similar boat. I’ll outline easy ways to purchase traffic effectively, ensuring your dollar goes a long way.

The first step is to determine what the purpose of the extra traffic is for. If your simply trying to boost your traffic rankings and increase ad-views on your site, you might opt for a cheaper solution than if you’re trying to sell a specific product.

There are two main types of traffic to consider: Targeted, and Untargeted. Targeted traffic is comprised of visitors of a specific demographic; such as Gambling, Webmasters, Music, etc. Untargeted traffic on the other hand, sometimes referred to as ‘aggregate traffic’, is diverse traffic, which is comprised of visitors of many different categories. In general, is a safe assumption to say targeted traffic will likely cost more to purchase than untargeted.

The second step is allocating some funds for the advertising. How much money do you have? Are you looking for a full-blown $10,000 advertising campaign, or a $20 banner in a small rotation? Set aside an advertising budget, but don’t go over-board, as if your campaign is not successful, you’ll be kicking yourself.

The third step is choosing a provider. This decision will likely determine the success of your advertising campaign. Your choices here can generally be split into two categories: Advertising Companies, and sole Websites. Advertising Companies are companies that specialize in advertising, and will likely place your ads on a number of sites, depending on the company. Sole websites are sites that sell advertising on their own site, and only their own site.

The reason this is an important thing to categorize is due to the reason for advertising, which I discussed earlier. If the goal is to get your name out to as many people as possible, advertising on one single site isn’t the best bet, since your ads will likely be seen by the same people many times.

Advertising Companies
I’ve dealt with many different adverting companies, some of which disgust me. Some claim to have the power to unload thousands of visitors on websites for only “pennies on the dollar!” I’ve got news for you; if a company’s domain is brand new, and Google hasn’t ranked them above a PR1, don’t waste your time. Even if the “price is so low, you cant go wrong,” don’t. Supporting these companies will only allow them to continue with their sketchy business tactics.

I recommend going with a solid company that is genuine in their sales approach and instills confidence in you, the customer. Query Google with the company’s name, see what comes up.

A great way to find such companies is on forums and BBS. Hang around a webmaster community, and keep your eyes open for advertisements. It’s a great way to find names of companies.

I think I should touch on perhaps the ‘king’ of multi-site advertising, Google’s AdWords. AdWords is a ‘pay-per-click’ solution. It’s very good in targeting visitors, but don’t start unless you’ve got a decent-sized chunk of cash to spend. Due to Google’s rules, I really can’t discuss the specifics of this program. For more information, visit http://google.com/adwords.

Sole Websites
Next up, the loners. I personally don’t do much of this type of advertising, since I am a fan of broad and diverse coverage. However, this can be a great way to support independent sites and still get some attention.

The best bet on this is to query Google and find sites that are similar to yours, or the one you are promoting. Then, if you feel the site would be a good place to get your name out, check out the advertising page, if one exists. If the prices are in your range, then you might consider purchasing some ads. Start small, and see how it goes.

Use your head
In conclusion: Look for a good deal, make sure you know what your getting, and never set your expectations to high. I “Garontee” you’ll do better with that advice.