Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

 

Q: What exactly is IslamicBanners.com?
A: IslamicBanners.com is the premier banner exchange programme for Islamic websites. We are the largest and most active of all the banner exchange programmes which specialise in Islamic websites.

 

Q: Is this service really free? Are there any hidden charges?
A: It is free to join, setup your account, and upload your banners (including multiple banners). It is also free to run the exchange i.e. when your site shows a banner, your banner will be shown on another site.

To start you off, your account will be credited with 100 banner impressions i.e. as if your site had already shown 100 banners.

When your account is activated (i.e. your banner is uploaded to the network), your site will appear in the list of active sites. On our main page there is a link to a random site in the network, and if selected at random, a link to your site will appear there also.

You have the option of purchasing additional banner impressions at the rate of $1 for 1000 impressions - please contact us for more information.

 

Q: Are banner exchange programmes effective at increasing my site's traffic? I have heard that they are "yesterday's news".
A: Our experience is that if you follow some basic rules on how you make your banners and manage your banner campaign, it is reasonable to expect a 1:100 click thru rate. This is the industry average; IslamicBanners.com regularly monitors click-thru rates, and our performance is comparable to the industry as a whole.

 

Q: OK, so what do I need in order to join?
A: All you need is a Islamic / Muslim related website, a 468 x 60 JPG or GIF banner to advertise it, the ability to place some HTML code onto your website, and a desire to get more traffic! Then sign up.

 

Q: Do I have to modify my website to join?
A: You have to place the code we give you onto your webpage(s).

 

Q: How do I make a banner? Can you make a banner for me?
A: We do not make banners, but we can recommend AdDesigner.com if you want a banner made. When you have made the banner, please upload it to your website and then join IslamicBanners.com

 

Q: Some banner exchanges have a limit to the maximum banner size. Does IslamicBanners.com have such a limit?
A: It is best to keep banner sizes as low as possible so that they will load quickly. This maximises chances that a user will click on it. It is preferable to keep the banner size to 10-15 kilobytes.

 

Q: Is it possible to use more than one banner for each website?
A: Yes, you can have as many banners as you wish under one account. IslamicBanners.com is designed to be scalable, and there is currently no limit to the number of banners each account can handle. Log in to your account, and from there you can tell us the URL of each banner you wish to display. Once it is uploaded to the Network, a random banner from your account's pool of banners will be served each time.

 

Q: Can you give any advice on how to design better banners? I want to make banners which will encourage people to click them.
A: Yes, please visit our pages on Banner Design Tips for ideas and suggestions on how to create more effective banners.

 

Q: I am having difficulties with the code I need to put on my webpages. Can you show me how it should look like?
A: The IslamicBanners.com code should look something like this.

 

Q: Is it possible to place banners in emails?
A: Yes, you can place banners in HTML emails.

Please use the following code:

<!-- IslamicBanners.com Banner Exchange Email Code -->
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"><!--
random = parseInt(Math.random()*1e9)
banner = '<a href="http://www.islamicbanners.com/adserver.php?id=[YOUR-USER-NAME]&r=e&l='+ random
banner += '" target="_blank"<'
banner += '<img src="http://www.islamicbanners.com/adserver.php?id=[YOUR-USER-NAME]&r=e&s='+ random
banner += '" width="468" height="60" ALT="IslamicBanners.com Banners Exchange" border="0"></a>'
document.write(banner)
// --></SCRIPT><br> <br>
<a href="http://www.islamicbanners.com/adserver.php?id=[YOUR-USER-NAME]&r=e&l=e" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.islamicbanners.com/adserver.php?id=[YOUR-USER-NAME]&r=e&s=e" width="468" height="60"
ALT="IslamicBanners.com Banners Exchange" border="0"></a>
<!-- IslamicBanners.com Banner Exchange Email Code -->

 

Q: I cannot log into my account... what shall I do?
A: Please check you are using the correct username and password, and that caps lock is off as the username/password are case-sensitive.

 

Q: Why does my site show an error message instead of a banner?
A: The IslamicBanners.com Network uses Javascript (not Java) to display the banner in the browser window. If the browser is unable to use Javascript, or has Javascript turned off, then the following banner is displayed:

If you are using an old browser, then you might get this message because they cannot use Javascript. Also, if you are browsing with Javascript turned off, then this situation would occur.

The way to solve this would be to use a newer browser, or to make sure that Javascript was not turned off (in the preferences / settings menu of the browser).

 

Q: Is there a referral programme for bringing more Muslim webmasters to the IslamicBanners.com service?
A: The more members there are on the Network, the more benefitial it is for all members - your banner will be shown on a larger range of sites, hence it will reach more people, and this will increase traffic to your site. IslamicBanners.com therefore has a referral programme to encourage members to promote the site.

  1. Visit the referral page
     

  2. Enter the webmaster's email address (required) and the URL of the website (optional). You can specify upto 5 websites each time.
     

  3. Be sure to state your username in the correct box: your account will be credited with 20 banner impressions for each referral you make, and a further 100 banner impressions for every user who signs-up stating your username.
     

  4. Click on "Invite". The webmaster will be sent an email inviting to join the IslamicBanners.com Banner Exchange Network.