I’m far from an expert on this subject but I have learnt over time and trials that targeted marketing on the web is important to achieve a good level of success and to be able to earn any decent money. For example, if your website is about cars and you are displaying related adverts such as car rentals or ads for auto spares then your level of success is going to be much higher than if the ads were for pet accessories or the latest anti-wrinkle cream.
There are loads of websites, especially blogs, that display affiliate ads here and there that are totally non-related to the content of the site. That’s fine if you are looking to earn a little extra pocket money but it’s a hit and miss approach and will rarely bring in any real earnings. If you are serious about earning an income using the Internet then you have to apply a more targeted approach, it enables you to make more cash with less visitors. On the other hand if you are getting a lot of visitors and your affiliate ads are relevant to the site content, you have a winner.
Having said the above then, if you are looking for ways to earn money online with your website it is a good idea to try and source affiliate programs related to your content. If you are in South Africa as I am, head on over to Traffic Synergy or Offerforge and have a look through the various campaigns available to see if there is anything related to your website. If there is, why not sign up with them and start displaying the ads within your site? You may just be amazed at the results and extra money you can bring in by joining these affiliate programs and applying a little targeted online marketing.