Banner Advertising on Coloma-Lotus Chamber Websites

Every month 8,000-18,000 unique visitors visit the Coloma.com and TheAmericanRiver.com websites, seeking information about the Coloma-Lotus area, gold rush history, whitewater sports and other recreation on the forks of the American River, and local services. You can take advantage of this highly-targeted traffic by placing your advertisements on either or both of these two sites.

We simplified our advertising options for 2011, and in the process greatly increased the visibility and viewing frequency for your banner advertising. Here are the 5 easy steps. You'll find information on each step below.

1. Choose which site you want your ad to appear on: Coloma.com or TheAmericanRiver.com (or both).
2. Choose what size ad you want.
3. Decide how often you want your ad to display.
4. Design your ad, have your designer build it, or ask us to design it for you.
5. Send us the ad with your instructions and payment. You can sign up when you join or renew your membership!

1. Choose the Website

Coloma.com attracts tourists looking for Gold Country wineries and B&Bs, history buffs and other visitors to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and people who enjoy outdoor recreation in our riverfront parks and miles of trails. TheAmericanRiver.com attracts whitewater rafters and kayakers, conservationists, and people who enjoy the South, Middle and North Forks of the American River for their trails and beauty. You can purchase ad spots on either of the two sites, or purchase spots on both sites. Ad spot prices are the same for both sites.

2. Choose the Ad Size

The maximum ad width is 150 pixels (px). Ad spot heights range from 60px to 300px. The following samples represent the six available sizes. The prices shown are based on the height of the ad spot, and each price is for one ad spot for one year. Learn more about ad spots in step 3.


Current Coloma-Lotus Chamber members with Standard and Premium memberships qualify for ad discounts. See details below.

3. Decide How Often Your Ad Should Display

If you purchase a single ad spot, over time your ad will appear on all pages (except for the home pages) of the site you've selected (Coloma.com or TheAmericanRiver.com). All ad spots get equal exposure, distributed across the pages on the site. To cover both websites, you may purchase a spot on both sites. To increase the view frequency, you can purchase more ad spots on either or both sites.

Each page will accommodate two larger ads or four small ones, or a mix. To make sure that all ad spots get lots of views, we are limiting the total number of ad spots sold to 100 per website for 2011. If all 100 spots are sold, your ad will be seen around 4000 times if it's on Coloma.com or 3000 times if it's on TheAmericanRiver.com. This is an average of 40 times per day in peak months and an average at least 25 views per day year round. If fewer than 100 ad spots are sold, your ad will be seen that much more often.

4. Create the Ad

We recommend designing an ad that is attractive and gets attention without being garish. Be sure that the text is large enough to be legible at the size of your ad space. If you're not comfortable with Photoshop or other design tools, we suggest that you ask a graphic designer to prepare your ad, or contact us for help.

Here's the fine print:

• You must provide "web-ready" graphics: JPEG, PNG or GIF format only. Animated GIFs are not allowed, nor are Flash animations.
• Maximum file size is 30kb. (We recommend keeping file sizes under 10k for quick upload and refresh.)
• Ads must be tasteful, and are subject to review by the Chamber.

There is a $40 charge for each new ad graphic, to cover the cost of reviewing and processing it. This may include resizing or minor fixes. If more substantial work is required, we will contact you and discuss how best to proceed. Once the ad has been processed, it will appear in all ad spots you purchase, without additional processing charges. Standard and Premium Coloma-Lotus Chamber members for discounts. See details below.

5. Send Us Your Instructions

For each ad graphic, we need the following:

• ad size
• number of ad spots (at least one)
• the ad graphic
• the URL (web address) that the ad should link to
• title for the ad -- this will show up when visitors hover over the ad, or if they have disabled graphics

To figure the cost for a single ad, first apply the $40 processing fee for the graphic. Then add in an "ad spot" fee for whatever size ad you have. For example, a single 150px by 90px ad for one year will cost $40 plus $90 equals $130.

If you want the ad to appear twice as often, multiply the ad spot fee by two. Thus $40 plus 2 x $90 equals $220. And so on. We are happy to do the figuring for you. Just contact us and we'll get it all worked out.

The easiest way to sign up is to include banner advertising in your 2011 membership renewal or when you first join the Chamber. This way you get the Chamber discounts (details below).

Advertising Discounts for Chamber Members

If you are a member of the Coloma-Lotus Chamber of Commerce at the Premium level, your banner ad prices (for graphics processing and ad spots) will be discounted 20% from the above prices. Standard-level members qualify for a 10% discount. See the Membership page for more information on membership levels. The 2011 membership drive runs November 7 - December 22, 2010. Don't miss the additional 10% "early bird" discount for applications and renewals received by November 30!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When will my ad appear on the site, and for how long?
A: All banner advertising spot rates are for one year. We are redesigning both Coloma.com and TheAmericanRiver.com, with completion dates by March 1, 2011, for both. As soon as the new sites go live, we will begin publishing all ads in the queue. That date will become the annual renewal date for all banner ads. (Note: payment must be received before an ad will be posted.)

Q: What if I purchase an ad after the renewal date?
A: Ads purchased after the renewal date will be prorated for the time period ending on the renewal rate. Contact us for details.

Q: When I renew my ad, do I need to pay a new ad processing fee?
A: If you are keeping the same graphic, there is no additional fee.

Q: Can I change my ad graphics during the year? (For example, seasonally.)
A: Yes. The $40 processing charge applies to each ad graphic. But if you have more than one processed graphic, you may swap graphics between ad spots up to four times per year without additional charges.

Q: Can you deliver a text ad or combination of text and graphics?
A: Initially we are limiting ads to graphics only. But we may consider offering other options in the future. Let us know what you would like us to support and we'll see what we can do.

Q: Where do you get the page view numbers in Step 3?
A: Over the past year (November 2009-October 2010), Coloma.com had a total of 396,654 page views (average 1087 pages per day) and TheAmericanRiver.com a total of 305,361 (average 837 per day). In peak months, each site recorded approximately 1400-1500 page views per day. We are assuming an average of three ad spots per page. Download this PDF for more detailed stats, and contact us if you have any questions.

Q: Will I be able to get information about how often my ad was shown?
A: Yes, we will have statistics available so that you will know how often your ad appeared.

Please contact us if we can answer other questions or help you in deciding what will work best for your business, or if you want assistance in developing your ad.