Online advertising can be intimidating at first for those new to using the Internet as a marketing tool for their business or product. There are a huge variety of options for advertising online, including free online advertising. The most important step is to determine what kind of marketing effort is going to be the most rewarding for the web site, product or service that is being advertised. Whether the goal is to increase traffic, grow advertising revenue or build sales of a product or service, there are plenty of ways in which Internet advertising can be used successfully.

Due to the increased popularity of DVRs and other television recording devices that allow fast-forwarding through commercials, TV advertisements are often now simply avoided and ignored by many consumers. iPods and like devices have replaced radio for many commuters and home music listeners, rendering radio advertisements less effective. Newspaper and magazine advertising is also becoming increasingly outdated with more and more readers getting their news online. Internet advertising has become the number one marketing priority for many businesses.

Advertising online is now one of the most valuable ways to market a web site, product or business in the increasingly digital age. Many consumers now spend a significant amount of their time on the Internet through their computers, cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices. Because Internet users can also almost instantaneously share their favorite online finds with friends and family via e-mail or social networking sites, this makes online advertising even more valuable. One advertisement on the right site or in the right search engine results can bring in not just one visitor or costumer, but also reach their friends, family and social networking circle.

Some of the more traditional online advertising methods include paying to have an advertisement displayed on web sites or in search engine listings. These advertising spots usually come in two varieties: pay per click advertising and flat fee advertising. In the former, an advertiser 'bids' in an auction type environment for the best web site or search engine results placement. In the latter, the advertiser pays a flat rate to be featured in a specific spot or spots on a web site, search engine or network of web sites.

There are also many varieties of free online advertising that can be used for a web site or business. This includes social media marketing, which involves using social networking sites to promote a product, service or Internet site. Social marketing is considered to be one of the most successful online advertising methods in use today, although it may take a social media marketing expert to implement a winning promotional strategy in this area. Many web sites also engage in other free online advertising methods such as link or advertisement exchanges with other related web sites to increase traffic, revenue and sales.

There are a nearly infinite variety of ways to engage in internet advertising for marketing and promotion. The key to success is discovering what combination of techniques what brings in the desired end result for the advertiser. To wade through all the options and determine the most profitable and successful plan, an online advertising agency may be the best bet in negotiating the vast world of online advertising possibilities.

An online advertising agency can help a web site or business to evaluate the best strategies to advertise that particular site, product or service. Such Internet advertising agencies often provide such services as online media buying, advertising placement on web sites and in search engine results, e-mail promotions, search engine optimization services, social media marketing strategies and more.