THE Westmorland Gazette is this week launching a new service for advertisers which promises to open up a whole new market place.

Called Advertisers Online, the service will enable businesses and organisations to put print versions of their adverts on the Internet.

The initiative means advertisers will be able to reach a regional, national and even global audience online, as well as readers of The Westmorland Gazette.

Surfers can search through a dozen different business categories, including fashion, music and electrical equipment, by logging on to the Gazette's website, http://www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk, and then clicking on the Advertisers Online button.

A special leisure section, featuring events, hotels and cinemas, is also planned with the tourism market in mind.

Gazette web designer Craig Buxton explained advertisers would be able to include additional information alongside their web advert, such as a supporting sales message and website address. There will also be direct links from the Gazette site to advertisers' websites.

"It's a very cheap and effective way to reach a massively growing Internet audience. We can provide online business solutions and marketing and promotion strategies," said Mr Buxton.

http://www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk attracts around 150,000 hits a month, and the market place section of the site is one of the most popular features, regularly figuring in the top five most visited sections.