I often get approached by ad networks wanting to run on WhatIsMyIPAddress.com Before I will even discuss running a test I have a series checks that I do and questions that I ask.
Pre-Discussion Checks
- Does the ad network have contact information on their website including corporate name, address, phone number, and email address?
- What country are they located in? (I’m wary of working with companies in certain regions of the world)
- Does their domain name registration information match what is on the website, or is it hidden?
- How long have they been in business? How many people work there?
- Can I find any reviews on the network through Google searches?
Background Questions
- Do they target specific niches? Which ones?
- How many publishers are they currently working with?
- How many ad impressions are they serving monthly?
- How do they handle/prevent malware ads?
- What platform do they use or is it in house?
Minimum Testing Requirements
- Self-service reporting must be available from launch. Filtering by date, placement, and country.
- They must have category filters and be implemented during the test.
- Reasonable payment terms (Net 30-45 is most common, Paypal/check/wire, I usually start with Paypal.)
- Do they have a contract or insertion order to sign?
- Reasonable minimum impressions for testing
- Agree on the number of impressions per day per geo over what time frame in order to feel confident on their performance