Cost per lead (CPL) advertising — thought to be more cost-effective than online banner and search — is now within reach of cash-strapped small businesses and interactive agencies.

CPL firm Pontiflex made enhancements to its campaign management platform, which allows marketers and agencies to set up, manage and optimize CPL campaigns via drop-down menus, much like they would run a search campaign.

Nine new industry categories were also added: Entertainment, Family, Health, Home, Non-profit, Outdoor/Adventure, Retail, Technology and Travel.

The platform is targeted to small businesses seeking qualified, brand-specific leads from publishers, which yield a higher ROI than generic sales leads drawn from CPM and CPC advertising. One client, Dunhill Vacations, purportedly saw open rates increase 30 percent in nine months. Engagement level (measured by click-through ratio) in its subscriber base increased by more than 35 percent.

In April, Pontiflex netted $2.5 million in Series A funding.