Banner Basics: Create Ads That Work

Banner ads are everywhere - Internet users are bombarded with Web advertising on almost every site they visit. Obviously, emarketers have recognised banner advertisements as a powerful way to promote their businesses.

However, whether you're a major player or one of the little guys, the difference between a poor banner design and a great one could see your ROI and site traffic go through the roof. So it's essential that your banners stand out from the crowd. But how can you create a banner that will generate high clickthroughs, or have a strong brand impact? First, you must understand current trends in Web advertising. And once you know this, you'll have the foundations to prepare effective banners for your business.

Traditional Banner Usage

The Web is still a relatively new advertising medium. While the Web itself has been around for quite a few years now, its effectiveness as an advertising medium hasn’t been tested and proven to the extent that more traditional methods such as television commercials and billboards have.

This explains why most banner ads to date have focused on the generation of a direct response. Ad executives, company CEOs and others who make advertising decisions are less willing to take risks with the new medium, and demand to see direct results from ad spend. This is why direct banner ads have become so popular so quickly - they’re easy to track, and make ROI calculations simple.

The problem with this model is that companies and Website owners have come to demand an instant response from Web advertising. Unlike other real world media, the Web is seen as a medium which, if it fails to deliver an immediate ROI, will be slashed from ad budgets. However, the recent decline in ad rates, clickthroughs, and the general effectiveness of direct response banners, has seen many companies flounder, unsure which way to turn. Their “endless” pool of direct marketing leads has, in some cases, started to dry up.

What’s the Purpose of your Banner?

As we discussed above, banners are usually used for one of two things:

• To generate clicks and attract visitors to your site, or
• For branding purposes

These two ad formats necessitate different design approaches. Let's consider them in turn.

1. Design for Clickthrough

Once you’ve decided that you want you banner to attract visitors to your site, it’s time to design! There are many elements you can include to increase the number of clicks your banner generates.

• Use prompting words: Using words that prompt the user to take immediate action will have a positive effect on the results of a banner advertisement. Words such as "Click Here", "Click to Visit", "Visit Now!", and "Free!" are good examples, and can increase the likelihood of clickthrough.
• Create a sense of urgency: For a visitor to click on your banner, they must get the impression that the information on your site is more important than the site they’re currently viewing. To achieve this, you'll need to create a sense of urgency. Phrases such as "Hurry!, “Only while stocks last" and "Available for a limited time!" exemplify the kind of language that makes users click.
• Keep it simple: Keep your banners clear and simple. It’s the job of the banner to get the user to click through. And it’s the job of the Website to provide information about your products and services. So optimize your banner space with elements that generate clickthrough.
• Format for success: Your banner’s colour scheme is very important. Follow these guidelines to ensure a successful palette:
  1. choose complimentary colours that grab the users’ attention
  2. keep the colour scheme constant throughout the banner, especially if you’re using animation
  3. ensure key words such as "Free" and "Click Here" stand out
• Make your banner look interactive: One technique you will have seen is to make your banner look like you can click on individual parts of it. You can do this by adding “buttons,” and other objects the user is familiar with clicking on. Banners that simulate the "Windows" environment have become quite common.
• Target your audience: Targeting is the key to effective banner design. Be sure to think about the kinds of things your target audience would be familiar with, interested in, and are likely to click on.

Implementating Direct Response Banners

Incorporate some of these ideas into your next banner ad, and you could enjoy a dramatic increase in the number of clickthroughs it generates. Also, keep in mind the fact that the effectiveness of banners decreases over time, so it’s a good idea to create new banners every month or so, or rotate different banners through the same locations.