Posted on 2011-01-31 14:37:57
When you are setting up a paid traffic source for your dental website, you sometime get to pick between CPC (cost per click) or CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) for your plan.
Where these differ is that with CPC you pay only when someone clicks the ad and goes through to your website. With CPM, you pay when your ad is shown 1000 times, even if they ignore it. There are pluses and minuses to both.
CPC and CPM can both have some issues with being overcharged, in a sense. With CPC, you run the risk of click fraud, and with CPM, your advertising company has every incentive to show your ads to places that won't get clicks, just to maximize your spend. Neither of these should scare you away from paid traffic, but you should keep them in mind as ongoing issues.
Make sure that you only choose a CPM program if you have, under your control, which demographics, locations, and times for which the ad is shown. If you're not careful, you could be paying thousands to show your ad to Nigeria. If your office can only serve a 15 mile radius, you should adjust your ad settings accordingly.
If you do have all of these things locked down, than CPM can be a great deal. If you have a dynamite ad, you can get a ton of bank for your buck, since you're not spending any more per click. Just make sure you test both before making a final decision for your dental website.