Ad networks are easy, but they keep a large share of the revenue and fill your pages with ads you didn’t choose. Selling banner space directly — “billboards” for your website — can earn more per visitor and look far better, especially if your audience is local or niche.

Direct-sold vs ad networks

Many sites run both: direct-sold placements in the most visible spots, and a network as a fallback for unsold inventory.

Standard banner sizes

Stick to standard IAB sizes so advertisers can reuse creative they already have:

• 728 × 90 leaderboard — top of the page (use 320 × 50 on mobile).
• 300 × 250 medium rectangle — sidebar or between paragraphs; the most widely available creative size.
• Responsive in-content — a flexible slot within articles.

How to price your placements

For direct deals, a flat monthly fee is simplest for small advertisers. Work out your monthly page views, estimate a fair CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for your niche, and round to a clean number. Then publish a simple rate card — like ours — with sizes, placements, prices and whether GST is included.

Build a one-page media kit

• Who your audience is and where they’re based
• Monthly visitors and page views (keep them current)
• Placements, sizes and prices
• How to book and what creative you need

Standards that keep advertisers coming back

• Label every ad “Advertisement” and keep it visually separate from editorial content.
• Use rel="sponsored" on paid links, as Google recommends.
• Limit the number of slots per page — scarcity keeps prices up and pages clean.
• Send advertisers a simple end-of-month report: impressions and clicks.

General information only. Last reviewed: October 2026.