Click-Click-Click-Click-Click-Click-Click

CPM – clicks per thousand impression

CPC – cost per click

It is amazing to me how businesses are making millions/billions from this simple concept of clicking on links. I remember back in my college days when sites like www.anandtech.com, www.fatwallet.com, www.benbargains.net, etc. had these deals they would post on their homepages. I always thought it was a “nice” thing for them to do, (relatively). It was nice that I was able to check these sites once a day and find some great buys of what mostly was computer equipment or things that interested me; the typical early 20’s male college student. I used to think “wow, they must spend some time doing all this research…and for what? Website hits??”

Fast forward to 2007, and look what we have. It was these innovators that created this business model. Who would have thought they would profit THIS much by simply linking to another sites deal-of-the-day? Today’s ads have definitely changed and evolved. You can go to these same sites and realize that they are not the “hot deals” of yesteryear, but now are just any old advertisement that would pay more for the click.

Yes, of course this is obvious. With more and more of these sites popping up, it has become super competitive and these sites now want to leverage their popularity for the big referral checks. I immediately think of how this model is a rip off to the companies who bid on their ads to be posted in the heavy traffic sites. Honestly, the deals that show up now are crap. Do I want to buy this?

Harvest Serveware

Honestly?!

I feel bad for these companies since the typical person in my age group and culture wouldn’t even look at this. However, I just gave money to www.bensbargains.net as I did indeed click on that link to get to the site and to get the jpg pic.

But what do I know..Their sites are still up and running for a reason. Maybe I’m just jealous I missed the boat on a simple idea.