Effective Banner Advertising

There is no better time than now
to create an effective online banner ad

When designing your campaign, follow these tips and tricks to make sure your banner advertising campaign is effective.

How Will I Reach My Audience?

The more targeted the audience is, the better. Look for highly targeted niche websites to promote your products, services and job opportunities.

Think Before You Type

Use larger fonts and fewer words. No one will read an ad with a novel in it. Remember that simple banners have higher click through rates. If your ad takes more than two seconds to read, there is too much text.

Does My Ad Conflict With The Website Design?

Look over the website where your ad is going to be placed and imagine what your banner will look like on the page. Does it stand out? Does it look like it belongs on the page? Let your design be influenced by the advertising medium.

Keep It Simple

Size: Know the maximum file size your banner can be. Load time: Make sure your animations and design elements aren’t too complex, otherwise your ad may take too long to load.

If It Looks Like Product A And Sounds Like Product A Then It Must Be…

Make sure you use clear relevant images. Using graphics that don’t make sense can leave a viewer confused.

Who Are You Again?

Don’t forget to include your logo, tagline or other memorable or recognizable branding elements.

Hey You! Click Here!

Everyone knows that you can click a banner ad and end up somewhere else on the World Wide Web. Your call to action should answer questions like: Why should I click on this ad? Will I learn something? Win something? Gain access to something? Tell me why!

I Clicked, Now What?

When a viewer clicks on your ad they should automatically reach a page specific to the information or product in the ad. If they have to search to find information buried in your site, you’ll see a lot of people hitting the back button (bouncing from your site). Consider making a landing page for your ads to easily transition people into your site.

Test Your Banners

Show your banners to a sample of your target market. Give them only a few seconds to view your ad. Then ask for their feedback to get a true idea of how your ad is perceived. Test your banner ad’s click-through rates. Try changing the location of the call-to-action or the way your main text is worded or the type of animation you are using. Track if your click-through rates change. Continuously testing and optimizing will maximize your results.

The Most Important Thing To Remember – BE CREATIVE!

These tips and tricks are just general guidelines. The possibilities for effective and memorable communication are endless! Check out this presentation by Ashley Ringrose of Bannerblog to see some of great banner ads for a little inspiration!