WordPress – the open source CMS, supports over 74.6 million websites. The soaring popularity of the platform is owing to a number of factors, which also includes the wide range of themes and plugins.
Talking about plugins in particular, the choice is so vast that it often makes one think that there must be at least one plugin for any functionality on WordPress.
A case in point will be that of advertisement plugins. Used to display advertisement(s) on your website, these plugins are highly customizable and add to the overall look and feel of the site, drawing the attention of visitors.
But how do you select from the plethora of advertising plugins offered? Let us go through a list of several awesome WordPress plugins, which will make it easier for you to manage multiple ads on your website.
Advanced Ads
Use Advanced Ads to easily place ads on your website. The plugin is easy to install and set up and is laden with a variety of features, which include but are not limited to – ad rotations, setting of expiry dates, scheduling the ads and even choosing where you want the ads to be displayed on the website.
For instance, you can settle for ads to be displayed not only on specific pages, but also on different posts and tags. You can also select specific visitors for your ads.
The plugin integrates with Google Adsense as well. But then, you need to have at least PHP version 5.3 to ensure that the plugin works in the best way possible.
AdRotate
One of the clever techniques used in internet marketing for monetization on websites is to know when certain ads will perform better. Armed with this knowledge and AdRotate, you can easily schedule ads to appear on your website at a specific time. Rest of the time, you can show other ads, which are not as important.
Another interesting detail to watch out for in this plugin is that it allows you to determine how ads can rotate. For instance, you can make ads change every time the visitors refresh the page or make it a point to rotate the ads at fixed intervals like in five seconds or so.
Because the appearance of ads also contributes to the visual design of a web page, you can use the plugin to create an ad block. This will display the ads on the page in a grid format, adding to the design aesthetics.
Also, you can get to see a preview of the ad while uploading and so, can make alterations if needed before making it live.
You can also opt for the pro version of the plugin, which lets you have even more control over your ads. This includes targeting advertisements based on users’ location and give advertisers the access to their own dashboards to manage their ads on your website or see the statistics for their ads.
With so many features on board, this is definitely a plugin you need to try out!
OIO Publisher
What if I tell you about a plugin, which allows advertisers to purchase ads directly from the front end of your website? Sounds interesting isn’t it? After all, this will automate the whole process and allow you keep 100% of the profits without any intervention from your side (unless of course, approving or declining ads before they go live).
For this, all you have to do is set the prices and select the preferred payment method viz 2Checkout, Authorize.net, Google Checkout, Paypal etc. You can also use the plugin to allow advertisers to subscribe for auto-renewal of their advertisements. This serves as a great option to have a recurring income.
You can also place ads manually by using a shortcode or display them as widgets on the website. Alternatively, you can use the plugin for selling custom products, banner ads, paid reviews and even text links.
The benefits of this plugin don’t just end here. It also keeps a track of ad impressions, clicks and calculates the CTR or click through rate for each of the ads. Also, you can use it on endless number of websites and make more money by joining their affiliate program.
Ad Plugg
If you are trying to get the most out of each and every ad that you are going to publish, look no further and select Ad Plugg. A unique plugin on the list, it includes a number of advanced features and functionalities. This includes analytics and ad tracking features.
You can select the areas on the website where you want your ads to appear, schedule them and rotate them just like Ad Rotate. However, you need to create a free account on the Ad Plugg website in order to do so.
Without any upgrade, you can use 100,000 impressions per month using a free account on their website. Their pro plan however, is quite affordable and flexible and worth giving a shot.
WordPress Ad Widget
If you are new to using WordPress and advertisements in general, you can select WordPress Ad Widget. A simple plugin, it enables you to display your ads as a widget and upload your images directly by using the widget or opt for Google AdSense or any other code.
You need not have an expertise in coding or WordPress per se, as this plugin is intuitive and easy to use.
The plugin is immensely popular, which is apparent from scores of active installs along with a high rating.
Advertising Manager
Another awesome plugin for managing advertisements on your WordPress website or blog is Advertising Manager. Every month, there is some or the other new feature, which keeps getting added to this plugin.
It recognizes popular ad networks including Google AdSense and allows you to target your advertisements to various authors, tags, categories and pages. Also, the plugin also allows you to view statistics on your ad performance along with taking care of ad analytics.
Some of the other prominent features of the plugin are that you can include ads in your blog posts with a single click and in the templates with just one PHP function!
Wrap up
Use the plugins mentioned in the list to add advertisements on your website and you will be able to save time and have better control of ads on your website. Ultimately, these help in monetizing your website even when you have opted for managed WordPress hosting.
What about you? Have you used any of the plugins in the list or have any other plugin in mind, which we have missed out? Let us know by posting your comment!
Amy Simone is a freelance website designer with a passion for web design & development and WordPress development using managed WordPress hosting. She is always keen to share expertise through her many informative blog posts.