How does click-through income work?
 

Hello, Oh Great Ones, may I pick your brains?
How can I generate income for my website from click throughs? (clicks through?). I want to select the advertisers and get two levels of income - one from simple click through and one from clicks that lead to sales. Is that possible? Expensive? Can I buy a DIY package to set it up for myself? What else should I be asking?

I'd ask Google. They're the king of inline advertising.

Thanks BigV but I don't think I have made myself clear. I don't want to invite Google to put their targetted bag of ads on my site, I want to invite you (say) to put an ad on my site, and bill you for a penny for every click through and 10p for every click that leads to a sale. The site will be a(n additional) marketing tool for a specific commodity advertised on it.
Can anyone help with further suggestions?

Why would you rather do everything yourself instead of having Google just send you a check? I mean, I know they get a cut, but they also are the best at actually getting click-throughs on their ads. My husband's employer nets in the millions and a huge chunk of their income is from Google ads.

I suppose if you're looking to vet each advertiser, to imply that your site only accepts ads from products they support, then I'd try to go with a flat rate for ads, like they do in magazines, rather than try to deal with counting clicks.

I am sorry that I'm not making myself clear. I am not talking about ads on a personal page or blog which would, indeed, be best administered by Google.
I have a business idea to promote a commodity through a purpose-built website. This would be an additional marketing tool for those that are selling this commodity already, and I want to sell it to them as such. However, once it is up and running, and their commodities are listed on my site, I'd like two levels of payment, depending on the results of the clicks I generate for their site.
I may, of course, choose to add Google ads to this site as well ;) .

...Sorry, but I'm still not sure I understand.

Let's say Acme makes and sells widgits. So for example, you wish to create a webpage with instructions for a variety of handy projects a person can do with a widget, and then at the end of each article you want to link to Acme's online widget shop... And you want Acme to pay for each person you direct to their site in this way?

Several providers provide this widget but it's not easy to find in their online catalogues. My website has a title which is immediately related to a unique selling point of this widget which is, I think, currently under-exploited and which could significantly increase sales.

But the very moment you approach these providers asking for money, won't they be able to just look at your page and see the keyword of this underutilized market?

They already use/list the identifying feature but I feel that more could be done to promote this product to a particular market. It's a growth market which is under catered for and which has to really dig for something that they're looking for.
I'd advertise my site widely as a one-click solution for the market in order to get wider exposure for these products.
Sorry to be so cagey, but I think it's a winner ...

Forgive the multiple posting, but here is an example of the type of site I wish to set up. These retailers all sell kettles, and this site allows you to compare the kettles and the retailers, sorting by brand, price, specification etc. How does the site make money, apart from one ad on the right, and some sponsored links at the bottom? Does the site charge the retailers a fee per listing? Is there additional income arising out of the click throughs and sales made via this site?

Well here's how that site suggests they should get paid. :)