Business advertising

There are a multitude of advertising options on the Internet. Finding the one that's right for your needs can be a challenge.
Before choosing a company to help with your online advertising, you should think about what it is you're really trying to accomplish, and what you really need from that company. Your options can range from running a simple classified ad on Craigslist, to contracting with a major agency for a complete online marketing program and website redesign.
The first thing you need to decide is whether your online advertisement will run long-term or short-term. If you're simply needing to run an ad to hire a new receptionist you may not need it for longer than a few days. If you're wanting to generate ongoing sales over a long period of time, there are several different types of advertising companies to consider.
The truth is, you may not need an advertising company at all. If you've got a website, you may just need some effective search engine optimization. That's a discussion for another time but understand your website should be able to take the place of some amount of advertising if it's built properly.
So let's assume you have an ongoing need for whatever it is you're advertising. Now the question becomes, do you need help creating the ad, are you looking for more exposure, or both?
If it's just a matter of driving traffic to your website, you have a lot of choices. There are many ad networks, ad agencies, pay-per-click services, viral marketing programs, email blasts, etc. that would gladly separate you from your money. Trying to decide which is best can be a daunting challenge. There are a lot of scams in the online advertising world.
Our advice has always been to try to target your advertising as precisely as possible so you'll be more likely to "close" those visitors and you can more accurately measure the effectiveness of your ads.
If you need help creating your online ads, there are companies both large and small that can help. The cost of creating a new ad shouldn't be outrageous no matter who you choose, but remember, one ad may not be enough. Don't settle on the results you get the first time. Be prepared to change the ad and test it over and over again. It's the rare company that will do this for you at no additional charge.
Finding a company that can place your ad in front of your targeted audience and do the creative for you is even tougher. Take your time in analyzing your options before investing a lot of money in something that doesn't work or doesn't reach your intended audience.