How To Determine How Much To Charge For Niche Banner Advertisement

So I have a relatively new website. Down the road, assuming it grows in popularity, I will allow the business who list on my website to purchase banner spots to advertise their company at the top of the list.

My pageviews aren't high enough to do that yet. What is a good monthly pageview count to START doing this. And how much do you charge?

Businesses who list on your website? Is it some sort of business directory? In that case, it really depends on how targeted your traffic is and if you can bring them leads or new customers. If you can bring them a handful of quality leads a month some will pay a decent amount.

Really, just look into other websites that the businesses might want to advertise on and see how much they charge. From my experience, I have noticed there isn't a standard rate and it can vary greatly depending on how targeted the traffic is and how many competitors you have. If it's a local directory you probably have one or two others who offer advertising spots on their site, so start there and see what they offer.

There is one competitor, but I can't really ask him how much he charges... it isn't public information either. However, I have thought about finding out through someone who uses both our sites, but don't want to be too shady about it either.

Edit: Yes, it is essentially a business directory, but the businesses update "Current Prices" of a particular product often.