What Wikipedia Can’t Tell You About Website Sponsorship

by Imanuel Jannah Web Designer, Web Master, Web Content Expert.

Website sponsorship is a cash or in-kind fee paid to a website in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that site. It is one of the time-tested and increasingly popular means for reaching targeted groups of internet users on their own terms.

It basically involves a marketer (who may be an individual, a business or, an organization) providing financial support to help fund a website. In return, the marketer acquires the right to display brand name, logo or, advertising message on the site. In other words, just as advertisers pay a fee to sponsor a program on radio or TV, they may also sign on to sponsor a website. This is not the same as philanthropy even while the sponsored site may be non-profit. Philanthropy is the support of a cause without any commercial incentive.

The many benefits of sponsoring a website are well documented. Site sponsorship can lead to the expansion of a business beyond the frontiers of national boundaries and the generation of viral publicity – all good for a brand.

Certainly, the public highly approves of website sponsorship more than advertising programs. If a site that offers the closest fit to a marketer’s need is selected and sponsored, it can provide opportunities for real-time digital interaction with customers, prospects, and other stakeholders. Sponsoring a website has a higher potential to engage a well defined audience than any other online promotion tool.

Another significant benefit is cost-efficiency associated with the opportunity to enhance the marketer’s public image or, merchandise its positioning through affiliation with an appropriate, dynamic and highly visited website. This can really boost the morale and pride of the ‘troops in the trenches’ by leaving positive effects on marketing and sales employees, who discover that site sponsorships can rapidly convert a website visitors’ loyalty to sales.

Like all other online promotion tool, web sponsorship has some drawbacks. It can be relatively costly and evaluating its effectiveness can be very tricky. This problem lies in separating the effects of sponsorship from the effects of other concurrent online marketing activities.

Finally, here are 6 guidelines for those interested in site sponsorship.

Be sure your brand personality matches the website you want to sponsor.
Closely related to point number one is the fact that the best website in the world will not create an impact for a sponsoring brand, if it is wrongly targeted to an audience. Too often, the only barometer of measuring the success of a sponsored site is its number of visitors. Far more important is the fact that the brand is getting exposure to the right audience. So aim at the right audience!
Most websites try to accomplish too much. People visit sites to experience and enjoy the information it carries. That’s why they accommodate limited persuasion. So, don’t overwhelm them with too many sponsored messages. Stick to few and repeat them.
Deliver exclusive sponsorship. Exclusivity provides positive aura for branding.
Sponsored websites should build reputation, awareness, relevance and relationships. Don’t make the site product-centric; make it a brand building experience for visitors.
Plan for the before and after. Moving prospects from brand awareness to trial and to brand loyalty doesn’t happen overnight. Visitors need to see the site as part of a broader exposure to a brand. Therefore, sponsorship should be integrated with advertising, sales promotion, and public relations.

You can contact us to build, design, and optimize a sponsor-able site for you at a fair price.

Thank you for reading this post!