Ad Management Software | 7

Conclusion

[Editor's note: this article was written by Charlie Morris in August of 1998. As such, we cannot insure that information enclosed is up to date as of the time you are reading it. Please contact the vendors discussed for updated information on their individual offerings.]

A decision as to which package to choose is not to be made lightly. The most important things to consider are stability and future prospects. Does the package work correctly most of the time? Is the maker truly committed to continuing to upgrade and support the product? Alas, these are things that no review can tell you, so whether you're leaning towards in-house ad management or a rep firm/network, I strongly advise you to spend some time swapping stories with people who use the various systems in the real world. There are several good mailing lists out there, including these:

Online Advertising Discussion List

An ongoing discussion of online ad issues. The packages and networks mentioned in this article are frequently discussed. Subscription form at: https://www.internetadvertising.org/subscribe.html

Internet Advertising Report

Contains links to current articles having to do with online advertising. To subscribe, send mail to: [email protected], and put "SUBSCRIBE IAR <your first name> <your last name>" in the first line of the message body.

HTML Writers Guild

This organization sponsors several mailing lists, some of which sometimes discuss online advertising issues. Details at: https://www.hwg.org/lists/

Internet Link Exchange Digest

Mainly concerned with issues having to do with link exchanges, but online advertising is sometimes discussed. To subscribe, send a message with any contents and subject (or none) to: [email protected].

Another essential resource for anyone involved in Internet advertising is Mark Welch's site. This tireless online ad pundit lists just about everything having to do with online advertising, including ad management software packages, ad banner networks, stats and info about online ads, etc. etc. As for ad banner networks, some (DoubleClick and SoftBank) are hugely successful businesses, some are small-time (but legitimate) outfits, and many are simply scams. Mr. Welch keeps up to date on all of them (no easy task), and he isn't afraid to call them as he sees them. If you're thinking about signing up with any ad banner network, pay Mr. Welch a visit first!