AdKnowledge in Palo Alto, CA, a provider of Internet marketing solutions, said that new statistics show the average gross Web ad rate for March 1998 was $36.63, a decrease of 6% during the past 12 months and 2% during the first quarter of 1998.
Technology sites showed an increase in ad rates, rising more than 10% over the past year. The company also said its figures show that the number of newspaper-type sites and Web-specific sites saw a 3% and 2% decline respectively since December 1997, while the number of magazine-type sites remained static.
AdKnowledge releases excerpts from its Online Advertising Report (OAR) on a monthly basis. The report is a compilation of advertising statistics gathered from MarketMatch, the company’s Web media planning and research tool, and SmartBanner, its campaign placement and performance analysis service for marketers and ad agencies.
AdKnowledge said standardization in banner sizes continues with IAB and CASIE standards dominating. The 480 x 60 banner size has experienced significant penetration across Web sites with 60% of sites now accepting this banner size, up 5% from the end of the year.
Said John Mracek, vice president of marketing for AdKnowledge: “Figures for the first quarter show that Web sites are lowering ad rates and standardizing on banner sizes, which should make advertising on the Web more appealing for many companies.”
AdKnowledge is a privately-held company funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Mayfield Fund, Walden Capital Partners and Partech International.