There are three ways to sell ad space on your website: through an ad network, by selling direct yourself, or with SponsorZone. With an ad network, the network fills the space for you. You add its code to your site and it decides which ads appear. It usually pays you by how many people see or click them, so your income follows your traffic. Selling directly yourself means you find the advertiser and negotiate any terms you like with them: a fixed price, a price tied to traffic, both, or something else. SponsorZone is a tool for selling direct. It handles collecting the banner, the approval and the payment for you.
This guide covers all three, starting with the ad network.
Option 1: Use an ad network
An ad network is the quicker route to having ads on your site. You do not look for advertisers or negotiate with anyone. The trade-offs are control and income. The network decides which ads appear, and the terms are the network's, not yours. It usually pays by views or clicks, so a site with few visitors earns little, and some networks only accept sites above a minimum amount of traffic.
To use one:
- Check what the network requires. Each network sets its own rules for the sites it accepts, such as content, traffic or location. Some set a minimum amount of traffic. Read the requirements on the network's own pages before you apply.
- Apply. Most networks ask you to submit your site for review. Approval is up to the network.
- Add the network's code to your site. The network gives you a snippet or tag, with instructions for where to put it.
- Choose where ads appear. Some networks let you pick the placement. Others place ads for you. Check which applies to the one you choose.
- Check how and when you are paid. How you are paid, when, and the minimum before a payout is made are all set by the network. Find these in its terms before you commit.
- Review how the ads look on your site. Because you do not choose the advertisers, keep an eye on what appears and on how it feels to your readers.
To find the correct network for you, check out AdSense alternatives.
Option 2: Sell direct yourself
Selling direct yourself takes more work than an ad network, but you keep the control. You sell one fixed slot to one advertiser for a set time, instead of letting automated systems fill it. The six steps below take you from the first decision to getting paid.
1. Decide what you are selling
Start with one fixed slot. Decide three things:
- Placement. Where on the page does the ad sit? Top of the page, beside an article, in the footer? Advertisers care about where people will actually see it.
Size. Set a maximum size for the slot, then a smaller size for each screen type. A banner that fits a laptop is too wide for a phone.
Screen Typical width Banner size Laptop and desktop 1024 px and wider 728×90, or 970×250 if you have the room Tablet 768 to 1023 px 728×90 Smartphone Under 768 px 320×50 Use your own breakpoints if your site already has them. Advertisers need to send one banner file for each size, so list them up front. Set the height of the slot in your page so the layout does not jump when the banner loads. To keep it simple, offer one size that fits a phone, such as 320×50.
- Duration. How long does the ad run? Selling by the month is the simplest: one month, one price. A set number of days works too. Either is easier to agree on than an open-ended arrangement.
One slot with clear terms is easier to sell than several vague ones. You can add more slots later.
2. Set a price
The simplest price is a monthly one, for example $100 per month. It is easy for an advertiser to understand and compare. An advertiser gets a specific place on your site, for a specific length of time, in front of the readers you already have. You know your audience better than any calculator does.
Three things move the price:
- How prominent the placement is
- How long the ad runs
- Who your readers are, and how well they fit the advertiser's business
If nobody takes the slot at your first price, treat that as information and try a different one.
3. Make the slot easy to find
Advertisers cannot buy a slot they do not know exists. Put an "Advertise here" spot where the ad will go, so anyone who is interested can act on it. Then make sure there is somewhere for them to land, a page that says what the slot is, its sizes, how long it runs and the price. A simple advertising rate card does this job.
Do not wait for advertisers to find you. Reach out to them as well.
4. Find advertisers
Check out a full guide on finding advertisers here.
A good place to start is with businesses that already reach your readers:
- Local businesses, if your site serves a town or region
- Businesses that sell to your readers, such as a tool, a service or a shop in your niche
- Companies that already sponsor or advertise near your topic, on other sites, newsletters or events
Send a short, specific message. Say what you are offering, how big it is, how long it runs and what it costs. Do not send a long pitch.
Here is a message you can copy and adjust:
Subject: Ad space on {your site}
Hi {name},
I run {your site}, a site about {topic}. I have one banner slot on {page or position} and I am offering it to a single business.
The banner sizes are {sizes}. The price is {price} per month.
I thought {their business} might be a fit, because {one specific reason}. If you are interested, reply here and I will send the details.
{your name}
Fill in the blanks with real details. The "one specific reason" line matters most. It shows you wrote to them, not to a list.
5. Agree the terms
Before any money moves, settle these points with the advertiser:
- The banner files they will send, one for each size you offer, and the page they link to
- The dates it will run
- The price
- That you can review the banner first, and say no if it is not right for your site
You are putting their message in front of your readers, so you decide what is acceptable.
6. Get paid
Agree when payment happens and how, and put it in writing so both sides know. With a monthly price, decide whether the advertiser pays once up front or each month. If you sell by hand, that could mean an invoice or a payment link.
Option 3: Use SponsorZone
SponsorZone is built for selling one fixed slot on your own site. You still choose the placement, the size, the duration and who gets the spot. It gives you the embed, the storefront, the review step and the payment.
- Create a Zone. Set the price in USD, the duration (7 to 75 days) and the size.
- Paste the embed on your site. It works anywhere you can insert an embed. While the slot is open, it shows "Advertise here". A click opens that Zone's storefront. You can also share the storefront URL yourself.
- A sponsor sends a banner. They upload the banner, their email and the target URL. No payment happens yet.
- You approve or reject. The sponsor pays only after you approve.
- The ad runs for the duration you set. Until then, the embed shows a placeholder.
- You get paid. After the banner has run for the duration you set, Stripe pays out to your linked bank account. Payouts are possible in every country Stripe Connect supports.
A Zone has a price and a duration rather than a monthly rate. To match a monthly price, set the duration to 30 days and the price to your monthly figure.
It is free to start, with no subscription. SponsorZone takes 10% of each sale, and you keep 90%. You only pay when you get paid.
Which option is right for me?
An ad network may suit you if:
- You want ads running without finding or talking to anyone
- You are happy for the network to choose the ads and set the terms
- You are happy to be paid by views or clicks, so your income follows your traffic
- Your site meets the network's requirements, including any traffic minimum
Selling direct yourself may suit you if:
- You want to decide who advertises, and where, how big and for how long
- You would rather negotiate your own terms than accept the network's
- You are willing to find advertisers yourself
- You are happy to handle the banner, the approval and the payment yourself
SponsorZone may suit you if:
- You want to decide who advertises, and where, how big and for how long
- You prefer a fixed price over income that follows your traffic
- You would rather not collect banners, approve them and take payment by hand
- You want to pay nothing until you get paid
- You want interested visitors to find and book the slot straight from your site
These are not mutually exclusive, but a network can have its own rules about what else runs on your pages, so read its terms first. Check out a full comparison here.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sell ad space on your website?
Yes. As the site owner, you decide what goes on your pages. You can sell a slot to any advertiser you choose, on the terms you set.
How do I sell ad space on my website for free?
Selling direct does not need to cost anything up front. You can write to advertisers yourself with the message above. If you use SponsorZone, it is free to start with no subscription, and the fee is 10% of each sale.
How much money can I make from selling ad space?
It depends on the price you set and on whether an advertiser takes the slot. There is no single answer. As arithmetic only, not a suggested price: at a 10% fee, a sale you priced at $100 leaves you with $90.