“Advertising” is a huge topic in webcomics currently. The problem is that the topic is so very large there is no way to condense it all into one article and do the information justice. So, for the first article in a succession of articles on the topic, I’m simply going to start with ad placement, from the publisher’s perspective (as in, someone is bidding on a spot on YOUR page). This is not advice on where to bid YOURSELF, simply where to put ads to generate revenue for you.

Ad placement directly impacts the revenue you generate as an ad publisher. It is only logical to think that, of course, an ad placed at the TOP of your page generates more funds than an ad of the same size placed at the bottom. Why? One word: Exposure.

The majority of internet users read left to right, top to bottom, just like reading a book. We look at the top left first, and the bottom right last. To gain the most revenue, whether through Project Wonderful or another ad publishing service, place your ad at the top of the page. People will bid more for this spot because it has the most exposure, and is not competing with other visual products (such as your comic.)

The second best place for an ad is to the left of your content. For example, a tower/skyscraper ad to the left of a webcomic page. Third best place is in the MIDDLE of content. For example, if I suddenly split up my paragraph right here with an ad:

It is in the middle of content, and therefore you are forced to read through it. You cannot completely miss the ad, as you might if I placed an ad on the RIGHT side of the page (as you can see in the sidebar.) To the right of content is the fourth best place.

Finally, the worst (and worst-performing) place to put an ad is beneath all your content, where most visitors will not even scroll. I see a lot of people complaining that their Project Wonderful ads are gaining very little revenue for them, yet when they are told it is because of ad placement, they do nothing to correct this. You really must think of your webpage like a realtor thinks of a property he or she is SELLING. You are selling space, and if you want to make money, you sell the best place.

(I would like to say right now that ad placement is slightly more complicated than I am presenting it. There is actually a spectrum for left, right and middle placement as you scroll vertically, but this blog is about the basics, so there they are.)

As with most aspects of life, moderation is often the best way to go. When placing ads on your page, you must remember not to go overboard. Too many ads not only detract from the reading/viewing experience (if you work is less enjoyable, less people will come back!) but also generates LESS revenue than less ads due to competition. For example, if I offered TWO tower slots on my webpage, the revenue generated from both would be less than if I only offered one spot, because of the laws of supply and demand. I supply more, the demand stays the same, therefore the price goes down. If the demand increases and the supply decreases, the price goes UP.

Please also be aware that if you are a member of publishing companies such as Google, ADSDAQ, Burstmedia, etc, there are RULES about where you may place ads. For example, the leaderboard I currently display on my comic archives may ONLY appear above the fold in a 800×600 resolution. The tower must appear within one scroll of a 800×600 resolution. There are restrictions, so that people don’t just go and put all the ads at the bottom, because you shaft the advertisers. So, read your Terms of Service!

Next Update: Advertising 202: Ad Providers Other Than Project Wonderful

Then: Advertising 303: Generating Ad Revenue and How it Relates to Content (and therefore, SEO)

Finally: Advertising 404: The Ad Tutorial: How to Make Money Without Merchandising.