The move marks the first time that has opened up its site to advertisers and will involve offering banner ads and skyscrapers on a CPM (cost per thousand) basis. And it comes when online display revenue is suffering as a result of diminishing ad budgets which are putting ad-funded websites under pressure.
Government guidelines clearly state that selling ads on government websites should be welcomed in order to save taxpayer money where appropriate and where guidelines are adhered to.
Online ads sales for The Met Office are being handled internally by a team headed up by Sam Blake, online sales and marketing manager. The website is the UK's national weather service and claims to record 2 million page views per day. The popularity of the site soars during severe weather, when it can register more than 19m visits in one day.
According to its own research, the website's typical user is 39-years old with an average income of £37,100.
The Met Office is also hoping to attract specialist advertisers in the aviation and marine industries, who may want to advertise on areas of the site dedicated to forecasting conditions for both professionals and amateurs alike.
The Met Office is also planning to serve other weather-impacted groups by developing dedicated areas of the site in a further bid to increase the site's appeal to advertisers who want to engage with niche audiences.
Charles Ewen, head of web business at The Met Office said: "This initiative gives companies the chance to place their brand alongside that of the Met Office. By opening up this new revenue stream we will be able to invest more in the Public Weather Service on our website."
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