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Banner Ads

Banner ads are, unfortunately, one of those things that is overrated, and judged by appearance rather than effectiveness. However, they do have their place in a marketing campaign, and can be worth trading for or paying for if you track the results.

Button ads, which includes any smaller graphical ads, follow the same rules as banner ads, and both types of ads will be referred to collectively as banners in this page.

Banner ads will NOT be effective in the following situations:

• If the banner fails to display a FAST, and meaningful message.
• If the banner is placed on a page of banner ads. Such pages look trashy, and do not effectively market anything.
• When placed on Links pages. They are largely ignored there by both people, and by search engines.
• If they contain animations that have a rapid frame rate. If your ad flashes so fast that people cannot read a message on it, or so that it distracts them from the content of the page they are on, then your ad needs to be slowed down! Fast frame rates may catch attention, but they annoy more people than they attract, so tone it down!
• If they have nothing to do with the content of the page. Once in a while you'll get lucky if you have an ad that is part of a banner exchange that does not take relevancy into account, but you'll have much better success if the page contains related items.

There are also factors which make banner ads much MORE effective.

• When they are placed on relevant content pages, they have the most power.
• When the ad coordinates with both the design, and feel, of the hosting site, they will attract the site users more effectively.
• A button ad can be used with text beside it for additional descriptions.
• Powerful marketing messages (no hype, just lots of meaning in a few words) work very well on banner ads, but don't try to squeeze in too much.
• Make sure that frame rates on animations are slow enough to be comfortable to read, and so that visitors can ignore them if they choose - this keeps you from annoying your potential customers, which is NEVER a good idea! Animations are great for fitting in a longer message, but you still need to keep it short enough to not waste the time of the reader.
• If you host the image on your own server, you can track views, and hits from it. This can help you to know whether it is effective or not. If you don't know what this means, ask a web designer, or feel free to email us and ask what it means.
• Careful tracking of ad results can help you understand how to more effectively place them - which sites and locations work and which ones don't - and how to create a more effective ad to attract the kind of site visitors that you really want.

One of the myths about banner ads is that they are prettier, so they are more effective. Statistically, text ads actually outperform banner ads in most situations. There are times though, when a webmaster will demand a banner or button from you, or when displaying your logo or product may be an advantage.

Most banner rotation programs are less effective than ads on sites where they look like they were put there on purpose. Some will rotate your ad through on sites that have nothing to do with your topic, and virtually all of them cloak the URL and redirect it. Banner rotation programs, and some other places where you can put a banner ad, will require a specific sized banner - some standard, some not.

Create a good one - one which delivers an effective message in a single glance, and they can help as part of a good marketing plan.

Please read the page on Text Ads also, as it explains some of the issues with purchased ads, which are very similar for Banner Ads.

Written by Laura Wheeler