ValueClick Enhances Targeting, Offers 14 User-Distinct Categories

Cost-per-click ad network ValueClick said that it segmented its 6,000 member online network into 14 user-distinct categories to enhance its targeting capabilities.

While advertisers can still utilize the broad reach of the ValueClick Network, these new vertical market categories also give advertisers the choice to purchase online ads on sites that are targeted to specific audiences, the company said.

The ValueClick Network categories are: Computers and Technology, Shopping, Sports and Recreation, Women, Art and Humanity, Home and Family, News, Entertainment and Media, Travel, Health, Business and Finance, Education and Science, Games, and Automotive.

“The ValueClick cost-per-click model gives advertisers an extremely cost- effective solution for banner advertising,” said Brian Coryat, founder and CEO of ValueClick. “Now, by purchasing advertising using ValueClick categories, they can get the additional value of tight targeting and make the most out of their online advertising budget. Targeting using categories allows advertisers to reach a more qualified audience and increases the likelihood of a lead and sale.”

ValueClick also said it now offers a new campaign testing service for instantly monitoring the effectiveness of banner ad campaigns running either in specific categories or across the entire network. With VisiTrack, advertisers receive information based on the impressions, clickthroughs and most importantly, leads and sales each banner generated. VisiTrack is offered free to advertisers on the ValueClick Network.

Since the launch of ValueClick in July 1997, the company said it grew at a rate averaging 30% per month. ValueClick serves ads that benefit from more than 3.5 million impressions per day across a network of 6,000 Web sites. Advertisers pay only for “clickthroughs” to their Web sites.