Banners

Dear Affiliates,

Can someone advise me what program should I use to view my banners and point it to my site by html code.

Thanks,
Erwin

[Elmarc]

For viewing your banners, your browser is normally all you need.

You can find the banners at the SFI Resource Center Marketing Aids area. Once you find a banner you want to use, right click in it and you should have a small drop down menu pop up. Click Save Picture As... (the exact wording varies) and select a place on your hard drive that you can easily relocate, then click OK.

Next, just click the File link at the top of the screen (above the browser window) and select Open, then navigate to your copy of the banner. Click OK, then Open (the exact wording may vary here, too). Your banner will appear if all is right.

To link your banner to your site, it must be on the web somewhere. This is called "hosting".

There are many options for hosting your banner. If you are building a web site, it should be hosted as part of the site. If you are going to use the banner for classified or other advertising, you may need an independent host. If you have web space provided by your ISP that is not in use, this is a great spot to host banners. or personal SFI web sites. Most FREE webhosts no longer allow images or graphics to be remotely displayed on other sites. This includes webhosts such as; Geocities, Angelfire, & Fortunecity. Please remember this when attempting to post your banner.

If you need a separate banner host, try www.bravenet.com or search for "image host" with any good search engine.

Once you have the banner safely hosted, you only need to refer to it and it will be displayed. That's the job of the HTML. Where you want the image to be, just type <img src="image address">. Replace image address with the actual url of the image at your image host. For instance, <img src="http://www.my personal account/images/Banner1.gif"> displays


To make a link, replace the normal link text with an image tag.

<a href="http://www.ezinfocenter.com/1609618/more"><img src="http://www.my personal account/images/Banner1.gif"></a> becomes a link like this:



Elmarc

Thanks Elmarc,
I only joined last week and I must my first post experience is very rewarding thanks to you.
The information is relevant to what my requirements are and I am clear as to what needs to be done.

Erwin

[Elmarc]

You are most welcome.

Welcome to SFI and the DBoard, by the way.

Elmarc

For banners, I always use Paint Shop Pro... :)

[4955116]

Elmarc. Thanks a million buddy!!!
I follow your instructions & there it is;)
Maybe now my wife will stop accusing of spending time at other "things"
I owe you one!:D :D :p

[dkin6933]

I still do not understand sry. I am not a computer wiz so it usually take sme awhile but I just cannot figure this out

[Elmarc]

What parts do you understand so far?

Elmarc

[dkin6933]

I have my banners saved in a file but I do not know where to put them and when I find somewhere. I do not understand how to put them there. any help

[Elmarc]

There's a huge number of places to post banners. They range from free to hugely expensive.

You have the most important step already done. Having the banners on your hard drive, ready to go will let you use most of the places you find right when you find them.

For the sites that host your banner themselves, it can involve emailing the banner to the webmaster, if the case of exchanging links, it can involve using an upload button, such as is found on some classified ad sites, or it can require an FTP client (program) to upload to a specific directory for that site. Each site should tell you what it requires.

If you need an FTP client, you can find at least one in the DBoard Resource Center under Downloads.

For the sites that ask for a url for your banner, it is a bit more complex to set up. Then it gets easy. You will need to put the banner on the web somewhere, as mentioned in my earlier post. The first place to consider is any web space your ISP provides. That's the outfit that sells you internet access. Most include at least some web space. Their information pack you got when you signed up, their help pages or their FAQ should tell you what you need to know to get your banner in that web space. If not, an email to support should get the details.

There are also sites that host web sites and images for free or for pay.

Once your banner is on the web, you just need to know the url (address) for it. Then when a site asks for the url of your image or banner, just send that or type it into the box on the site. If you have chosen a host that allows outside requests for images (check the terms of service before you start), it should appear in all its glory when your ad or other banner placement is accepted.

Let me know what is still not clear enough after you try to get a banner where you need it. I hope your next post is one that says "I did it!"

Elmarc

[crochcm]

Can we use Link exchanges?:confused:

[Elmarc]

Originally posted by crochcm
Can we use Link exchanges?:confused:

If you have a personal web site, you certainly can.

The SFI assigned gateways cannot accept banners, so they can't participate in a banner exchange.

Elmarc

Elmarc,

Correction needed. You inadvertently left the url for the image a few posts above. I'd love to post my referral link as well, but it always gets removed. It was cute to remove the first one.


Dave

[Elmarc]

The banner url was sort of grandfathered by being posted long enough before they could no longer be allowed. I hadn't come up with a way of rewriting it that was clear enough yet a blind.

I guess today's the day to do it!

Elmarc

Update: I still can't find a good way to make the image appear without using a regular site.

[chil]

I'm really fed up now. I keep trying to use banners with no success. I wanted to practice with esmart at having my own little website but I can't work out how to put a nanner on it. I downloaded the banner to my picture folder but can put it on the site., it just does not work for me. It sounds easy when I read your instructions but I must be doing it all wrong.
Can anyone help?
Cheers
Jayne

[jfridge15]

You have to upload the banner from your hard drive
to the proper directory on your web host.

The img src tag must be exactly the same as the file
name on your hard drive.

Click the banner you want from your hard drive, Click
"open" . Copy the file name, put that file name in
your <img src="xxxxx"> tag.

If this doesn't work you may be able to get some help
from your web host.

[chil]

Thanks for your help.
Jayne :)

[jfridge15]

Correction on my last reply!

Once you upload your banner to your web host
you can't use the file name on your hard drive.

You can rename the banner anything you want.

You can use the file name thats created when you
upload your banner.

Example:

<a href="http://www.quickinfo247.com/xxxxxxx.xx/FCS/">
<img src="banner.gif"></a>

or

<a href="http://www.ezinfocenter.com/xxxxxxx.xx/FCS/">
<img src="banner.gif"></a>

Thanks for the correction hlbuss

[Coffey]

how do you place banners on your own website.

[Norma]

You can not lput any thing on the sites that SFI gave you.

Norma

[Ash Pash]

Hiya Norma,

Am I able to place SFI banners onto my own website, linking to my personal Gateway websites? Was this question already answered!? :rolleyes:

Ash

[Elmarc]

Read this post for help in using banners.

Elmarc

[Ash Pash]

[COLOR=Royal Blue]Thanks Elmarc - you're always helpful - do you get a bonus? Or is this a free service from the kindness of your heart!

I intend on completing my personal site over this weekend and posting banners there as well as using PPC services, which I have 'some' experience in...
[/color] :J)

Take care.
Ash

[Elmarc]

I began offering advice in order to better learn the SFI system. I was recruited as a moderator and we get modest, non-cash compensation.

Elmarc

[azar62siva]

dear friends,
Elmarc, creedvino....tried their best to help me post ads......i tried hard to post the banners in my SFI site.....but i can't able to do it.....i downloaded it sucessfully.....then i exported my free gateway page to excel....gave the link etc.......then i found out that i can't paste banners in our free gate way....is that true......is these banners is only used to post in other sites which we own.....iam a new affliate....please guide me where to use banners effectively.....then iam giving my friends my website given by SFI.......iam really confused about banners......please help me guys.....love u all.....love workin with u guys......

[Elmarc]

The SFI gateways will only accept changes to your contact information and the addition of the "See You Again Shortcut" from BuySFI.
They will not accept banners.

Elmarc

[serena08]

If it is not possible to post banners on the website, then it is not possible to use them as an email signature either. I suppose that it is not reasonable to think that you can advertise without incurring some business expense or overhead. Please explain web hosting to me and where can I get it cheaper than Yahoo! ( if that is possible) Once the banners are hosted on the webhost website, how does that function to promote your website? :confused:

[Elmarc]

Welcome to SFI and our DBoard!

Originally posted by serena08
If it is not possible to post banners on the website, then it is not possible to use them as an email signature either.

Those are completely separate functions. It is up to your email client (program) whether or not you can add a banner in your signature.

I suppose that it is not reasonable to think that you can advertise without incurring some business expense or overhead.

As true as that statement is, it does not require money. Your time and effort can be all the overhead needed.

Please explain web hosting to me and where can I get it cheaper than Yahoo! ( if that is possible)

Web hosting can be free (of money costs).
Free domain names:
http://www.namezero.com
http://www.domainzero.com

Free web hosts:
http://www.freewebspace.net/
http://www.freeindex.com/
http://www.100best-free-web-space.com/
http://www.f-free.co.uk/webmaster_space.html

Paid web hosts:
http://www.findwebspace.com/
http://hostinvestigator.com/
http://www.findahost.com
http://www.comparewebhost.com/

Web hosting is storing your web site pages on a computer that is connected to the internet and set up to deliver (serve) the pages to anyone who requests them.

Your ISP may even provide you with web space as part of your internet account. You are already paying for this, and if you are not using it, it is a great place to host your site or banners.

Once the banners are hosted on the webhost website, how does that function to promote your website?

:confused:

Just hosting the banners does not, in itself, promote anything. It just puts them where they can be used for your promotions.

Here's web site building advice I wrote elsewhere.

Elmarc

[serena08]

Elmarc, this is the most comprehensive answer to a question that I have ever received. Many thanks!! :Pinkie:

[janitorjoe]

Thanks I will give it a try.

[homemom3]

Wow, thanks for all the great info! I've been struggling with banners since I started with SFI. It's the HTML code that always confuses me.
Anyway, just wanted to say thank to all you guys who work so hard to supply us with comprehensive answers to our many questions and delimas.
Kathy

[serena08]

Originally posted by Elmarc
For viewing your banners, your browser is normally all you need.

You can find the banners at the SFI Resource Center Marketing Resources area. Once you find a banner you want to use, right click in it and you should have a small drop menu pop up. Click Save Picture As... (the exact wording varies) and select a place on your hard drive that you can easily relocate, then click OK.

Next, just click the File link at the top of the screen (above the browser window) and select Open, then navigate to your copy of the banner. Click OK, then Open (the exact wording may vary here, too). Your banner will appear if all is right.

To link your banner to your site, it must be on the web somewhere. This is called "hosting".

There are many options for hosting your banner. If you are building a web site, it should be hosted as part of the site. If you are going to use the banner for classified or other advertising, you will need an independent host. If you have web space provided by your ISP that is not in use, this is a great spot to host banners. or personal SFI web sites.

If you need a separate banner host, try www.bravenet.com or search for "image host" with any good search engine.

Once you have the banner safely hosted, you only need to refer to it and it will be displayed. That's the job of the HTML. Where you want the image to be, just type <img src="image address">. Replace image address with the actual url of the image at your image host. For instance, <img src="http://www.my personal account/images/Banner1.gif"> displays


To make a link, replace the normal link text with an image tag.

<a href="http://www.ezinfocenter.com/1609618/nl"><img src="http://www.my personal account/images/Banner1.gif"></a> becomes a link like this:



Elmarc

Where do I type in the html code? I try typing it into the same slot where I uploaded the picture (banner) I always get the messagse "Can't find <a href be sure that you typed in the name correctly" What am I doing wrong?

[Elmarc]

What software are you using to build and maintain your web site? There are too many to try to give the way each works in one post!

Elmarc

[Gemima]

Hi I'm new to SFI.

I have been looking for ages for info on banners and never got the answers I needed and guess what I have now found everything I will ever need to know.

Thanks guys you are great

:Bouncers:

[Elmarc]

Gemima,

Welcome to our DBoard! We're glad we could help.

Elmarc

[7535764]

Thanks to everyone for all the great info,this will help more than you will very know.Thanks just one more time. Edward

[caugie]

My problem is when I go to the resource page and click on banners it doesnt show me the banner pic, all I see is the banner number, how do I see the banner itself?

[Elmarc]

Typically, that means you will have to turn off your ad blocking software.

If that's not it, let us know.

Elmarc

[bladerunner376]

Hello Elmarc,
I have been reading your post on web site banners and i want to know something if you can help. I have tried to put some sfi banners up on my web site and i'm still having problems doing this, I have gotten the html code from the banner site and where it say's your grafics directory what do you put there in that spot. See i have a lot of text links anf want to down size the text and put banners in but i cant get it right. When i put the text in for the banner nothing comes up it stay's blank please help me if you can becouse i'm not sure what i'm doing and i'm not use to this web site thing if you know what i mean. This is the site that i have any advice would help Thanks a lot
blade 376

[Mod Note: Personal websites are not allowed to be posted per DBoard rules.]

[Elmarc]

Sorry for the delay in answering. I have been trying to convince a new computer to behave as I want it to!

I checked on your site to get an idea of what you have done. I notice that most of your links end like this: XXX4311/varga/3012. The number at the end does nothing at all. To use keycoding, you must use only numbers from 1 through 999 and place them before the page name (if any). like this: XXX4311.301/varga. In this case, the 301 is the keycode and will be reported in any notification that reports a keycode.

The most direct way to put the banner on your page is to put all your files together. If your site is not going to be a big one with lots of pages, that's still easy and clear enough to be a valid approach. Using the name "Banner1.gif" as an example banner file name, just upload your banner to your web site, then your img tag would simply be <img src=Banner1.gif>. No image directory is needed in this case. Be sure to use the exact same name in the img tag as you used to upload the banner!

You would likely use your site's manager console to upload the banner(s).

Elmarc

Update: we can now use 4 digit keycodes, but are still not allowed to use those reserved to SFI corporate use, such as 1100 (Eagle Co-op) and the others shown at the bottom of your presonal referrals list or your genealogy. All keycodes go as shown above.

[locurtos]

I read the post you left for the last person. But Im still haveing trouble. May be it's because I dont understand html yet? I just dont get it
Thanks Val :rolleyes2

[Elmarc]

locurtos, this post has specific help in using banners. If you haven't read it yet, it may fill in the blanks for you.

Elmarc

[locurtos]

Hi ELMARC,

Thank you for the quick reply. I have been saving the image but I dont understand the hosting part. Arn't you sappose to be able to download a banner on some of the exchanges and safelists? I feel so close to figureing this out but also so far away! Could use some more of your excellent talent.

Thank You!
Valerie LoCurto :glowface:

[Elmarc]

Generally speaking, the more you pay to an advertising site, safelist or exchange, the more likely they will host your banner for your account or ad.

If the site only asks for the url of your banner, you should expect to host it yourself.

If the site offers a way to upload the banner (usually by a box where you enter the file name and a browse button to help find the banner file), you will know that they will host your banner. There are often restrictions on the size of the image, the size of the file and the file format.

If in doubt, check the help or FAQ that the site or service offers.

Elmarc

[enuff1]

I'm sorry, if this question, has been asked, but I'm new at this. I would like to know how to post a banner on a page, like a Website, FTP, Or email, where a person, would click on it, and have it send them directly to my Gateway page. Thanks in advance...

[Elmarc]

Welcome to SFI and our DBoard, enuff1!

Read this post for help in using banners.

To find answers already given for other questions, try the Search function toward the top of any DBoard page.

Elmarc

[Bonzi]

For people who are wanting to put banner ads on their own (non-sfi) website it is pretty easy to do if you use a program like FrontPage to design your site. I found that I didn't have to know how to do the code to get the banner to work properly. The FrontPage program has a Banner Ad Manger that all you do is pick the banner that you saved to your hard drive and point the location of it to your sfi website. That's it. Note: by doing it this way it will come up as a java applet on your potiental customers or affiliates browsers, which means that they would have to have java in order to see your banner ad.

Bonzi :C)

[major26]

I got the banner on my web site, but I cannot get the FREE to "flash".

Any suggestions?

Terry

[Maria Zanika]

Elmarc,
I have tried many times to install your designed Nice Offers Coupons Banner, but it does not seem to work for me.
Thank you anyway.
Maria Zanika, EA Greece

[Elmarc]

Maria Zanika,

Where did you try to put the banner and what software were you using? We may still be able to help.

Elmarc