Rotate and Track Ads using AdRotate WordPress Plugin

We all know there are many WordPress plugins that we could use to show ads on your site and they are all very different. It’s always difficult to choose one as they all offer different features. I would say the decision lies with the individuals own capabilities.

Today, I’m going to talk to you about a simple yet functional WordPress plugin called AdRotate by Arnan de Gans. It’s very easy to install and setup and will take you a few minutes and you are done.

Run down of features:

There are many features for AdRotate plugin and I have listed them below.

1. Show random banners
2. Track how many clicks, shown, CTR
3. Timed banners, start and stop dates
4. Activate or de-activate banners at will
5. Edit/update banners
6. Widget included for sidebar
7. Insert banners into pages or posts with shortcodes
8. Preview banners on edit
9. Per banner/function to set a specific banner or keep it random
10. Multiple groups per banner location
11. Works with Google Ads
12. Easy in use
13. Integrates with WordPress dashboard, yet allows you to completely style to your own need

Installation of AdRotate Plugin:

Below are details of what to do when installing the plugin. You will first have to download AdRotate plugin from WordPress.

1. Upload the folder to the plugins folder.
2. Activate the plugin from the “plugins” page in dashboard.
3. Review the manual for usage tips.
4. For making it easy to make money you should make me some money

AdRotate attempts to create the ‘banners/’ folder by itself, if it doesn’t exist and you need it. Create it using your FTP client in the wp-content folder!

Basics of AdRotate plugin:

The plugin comes with widgets that can be used in sidebars as well as shortcodes for you to place in your theme and pages/posts.

After installing and activating the plugin, you will see an extra menu named AdRotate. This gives you access to:

1. Manage Banners
2. Banner Wizard
3. Add|Edit Banner
4. Manage Groups

Menu – Manage Banners:

This will show you details about what banners are currently loaded and running and where it is being shown on your site. How many impressions and what the click through rate is. It also shows the start and end date of the banner.

Menu – Banner Wizard:

You will have to go through all three steps to create a banner. Follow the instructions carefully and all should go well.

Menu – Add|Edit Banner:

By clicking on this you can add a new banner or edit an existing banner. Change the title of the banner and the code being used, change the start and end date and various other settings.

Use %link% where you would put the URL and fill in the URL in the URL field in the advanced options and make sure to tick the checkbox to see the number of clicks on the banner.

Menu – Manage Groups:

You can create multiple groups for different kinds of banners and give a descriptive name so that it helps you. This will also show you how many banners are present in each group.

To un-install the plugin:

If you would like to un-install the plugin from your site, you can follow the instructions below and all will be gone.

1. Remove the code from your theme and de-activate the plugin
2. Remove the files from wp-content/plugins
3. Go into PhpMyAdmin and remove the tables with ‘adrotate’ in the name

So, what do you think of the plugin? What plugin do you use to show ads on your site? Do you think the plugin is something you would use or suggest to others?

Tagged as: adrotate plugin, review, Review of AdRotate WordPress Plugin, review of plugin, Wordpress

From the desk of George Serradinho

I am the proud owner of Serradinho.com and have made this my second home. I'm into blogging, downloads, WordPress, meeting and helping others, etc. Basically the internet in general :) Serradinho Web Services is my own company whereby I offer my services to clients. This ranges from web design, website upgrades, theme customizations, support, premium WordPress plugins and many more .....

View all posts by George Serradinho, there might be other posts that interest you.