How do you manage banner advertising, from signup, to invoicing, to payments?

[SilverNodashi]

Hi, I hope this is in the right place, please move if not

I have searched, and googled quite a bit on this one, and still don't have a definite answer.

So, I hope someone could shed some light on the subject.

Let's say you have banner advertising, but you want to automate it, even if just to some degree, how do you do it?

* How do you take signups?
* How do you manage the payment / billing / invoiceing?
* Do you take payments on a monthly basis, or one time?


I had a look at trying to use hosting billing program, like Modernbill or Clientexec, but it's a bit over kill for this kind of application, and you can't always disable the WHOIS functionality.

Something like ZenCart / OS Commerce doesn't handle recurring billing, so this doesn't work either.

And todo it by hand, hunting down clients every month for the payment is a step backwards, so it needs to be automated, even if it's just the signup, collection of banner images, and recurring invoicing / billing.

tia

[RKS Computer Solutions]

The easiest way would be to create one page with all your banner ad info, and have a contact script purely for that... Customers would be able to select their options and upload banners directly from the page for whichever option they choose.

Billing I suggest is pre-paid. Simply because it gives you the control to weed out the scammers and get the money up front to stop any confusion and/or invoicing... Once the payment hits your bank account, you activate the banner and let it run its course.

This is easy if you sell either impression or clicks, as you can then have a set figure or sliding scale, get paid up front and deliver just that...

To make your life easier getting the banners displayed and only serving so many impressions or clicks, look at OpenAds, it's what's driving all the banners on my site, as well as those banners on other sites that link to me via banners...

Let us know how you get along!

[SilverNodashi]

I currently use phpAdsNew (former OpenAds), simply cause I could install it from Fantastico, and they haven't released the update yet. It works like a charm, I have to say

I like your idea, but what about if I want to run a campaign, where the user can choose say 24 months, but pay monthly for it? Hence my stumble block.

I have been thinking about using something like Zencart / OSC to manage this, more to capture & store client details, and do the invoicing on my behalf, so if someone signs up @ 1am, the payment should be there by 8am, and I can activate it. But I'd really like to get to the next step as well, where if they pay by credit card (live payments), they get access immediately, so this could involve a bit of coding between say Zencart & phpAdsNew to create an "auto account creation" thing, I didn't see any on their website.

P.S. Where do I see your banner advertising "sales page" in action?

[RKS Computer Solutions]

phpAdsNew is the former, type in http://www.phpadsnew.com and it will take you over to OpenAds....

I also installed from Fantastico, but updated it manually when I found out about Fantastico being the last company in the world to update their damn software, and then the ISP's not bothering to update either...

24month campaigns should be dealt with similarly, contract signed for 24 months, but payments per month only activates advertising once paid for that month... it, pay before the 25th or banners will not be shown for next month, something in that line... i know its not the entire automated situation you're looking for, but that's how i would do it... unless you have a way to get paypal into SA....

If you're serious about taking CC for this, speak to Glen Ross over at MyGate, it's the best damn CC payment gateway in SA, no ripping the arse out of you for fees and best service ever... Tell Glen I sent you, since I found them I've been rallying for them heavily, purely because I believe in their business and the way they do things...

As for a "sales page", I don't have one... I don't take paid advertisers... Banners on my pages are all IT related served by either Commission Junction, TrafficSynergy or through OfferForge South Africa...

The other banners I have on my site includes those for TheForumSA, the South African Business Directory, and Just Done Productions because of the some kind of affiliate agreement we have...

[Ann Williams]

Use ABSOl ad tracking

Hi Tia

I highly recommend ABSOL adtracker. Everything is so easy to use, cheap and totally automated to allow both you and your client to see how their campaign is doing.

Why I think the sun shines out of them is because they provided the main system that was used by the big South African newspapers' online websites more than ten years ago, so they have the system completely worked out by now. Yet they are geared for tiny websites as well (which the OPA are not really suited to).

I have not got a finger in the pie in anyway with ABSOL. I recommend them as I first came across them when I was Online Editior for Business Day many years ago and have found in dealing with http://www.absol.co.za them that are ethical, will ing to assist, and just general a friendly bunch to deal with.

Go to their general website at: www.absol.co.za and have a look at their various services including their advertising tracker.

Cheers,
Ann

[punnia]

The most convenient way would be to create one web page with all your advertising ad details, and have a contact program simply for that... Clients would be able to choose their options and publish advertising ads straight from the site for whatever option they choose.

[Antoine from Public Ideas]

Hey,

Is an Affiliate platform could help you ? Or I didn't understand your question

Let me know