Exit Exchanges

Two weeks ago our newsletter profiled banner exchanges. This week we’re taking a look at another system, exit exchanges, which are based upon similar principles.

Exit exchanges are primarily different from banner exchanges in the type of advertisement they offer: pop-under ads (hence the alternative name, “pop-under exchanges”). The key in making exit exchanges work is to identify those pages of your site that have the highest volume of exit traffic. It will be from those pages that the exchanged pop-under ads will launch. To identify these pages, analyze your traffic logs for the top 3-5 pages from which visitors leave your site most frequently.

Like banner exchanges, you must first join in order to participate. The exchange then provides you with a few lines of code that you’ll then integrate into those high volume exit pages. This code will launch an unobtrusive second browser window, the contents of which is the pop-under ad, behind those exit pages whenever they are visited. The pop-under remains there and typically goes unnoticed until the visitor closes the first window they were using.

In-your-face? Somewhat, although not as much as a pop-up ad. Effective? Seems to be — one exchange claims that members of their network receive over a 4.5% click-thru rate on all pages served.

Like banner exchanges, exit exchanges operate on the ratio principle. This means that there is a certain rate of exchange established for every unique visitor the exchange provides you. There is a great range of ratios — most exchanges offer ratios in the 2:1 or 3:1 range (but we’ve even seen 6:1!), which means that your site must serve 2, 3 or 6 pop-under ads provided by the exchange in order to get one served of your own on someone else’s site.

One area in which exit exchanges radically differ from banner exchanges is their use of affiliate programs. Exchanges allow you to earn “credits” of those affiliates who you refer to the exchange. Essentially, for each pop-under ad served by an affiliate you refer, the exchange will give you anywhere from 10% to 100% of that number in credits. These credits translate into additional pop-unders served of your ad. As an added bonus, much like a pyramid scheme, some exchanges enable you to rack up credits from your affiliates’ affiliates. A lot of affiliates (or even a few really strong ones) can make for exponential growth of your ad delivery.

Advantages of Exit Exchanges

• Free advertising, visibility and site traffic
• Creative flexibility — pop-unders allow you much more space and latitude in which to communicate your message than do 468 x 60 banners.
• No need for creative at all — if you prefer, you can simply call up your web site’s home page as your pop-under rather than create a separate ad.
• Hard to miss — pop-unders get launched under the user’s browser, and they’re fully loaded before the user has a chance to close them (unlike pop-up ads).

   

Disadvantages of Exit Exchanges

• Few targeting options — exchanges are typically focused on raw volume of delivery rather than targeted delivery. Some exchanges, like Exit Blaze, do offer targeting, but only on the broadest of terms. Do your homework!
• Restricted deliveries - most exchanges deliver only one pop-under per visitor, no matter how many pages you have coded for that exchange. This limits your credit earning potential and ultimately how many times your own ad is delivered. To counteract this, try subscribing to more than one exchange and put each exchange’s code on different pages.
• Some Web surfers find all pop-ups and pop-unders offensive. Enabling your site with pop-unders may keep visitors away in the future.

   

In summary, exit exchanges are another free way of driving traffic, but before embarking on this path, seriously consider the pros and cons. Your visitors may not love them, but if they keep coming back despite them (as anyone who has seen an X-10 pop-under ad on Yahoo knows), they’re probably worth your while.

Related Links - Exit Exchanges:

Exit Exchange
Ad Exit
Traffic Multiplier
ExitBlaze
Exit Direct
FreeHits2000

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