Creating a Harder-Working Banner Advertisement
By the Pro-Talk Sales Team, August 2005
There are plenty of reports around claiming that online "display" or "banner" advertising is not as effective as it once was. But wait a minute. More businesses are using more "banner" advertising than ever before! Many of these are the biggest brands in the world - advertisers which really know what they're doing and which we can all learn from. So clearly it is working. It just needs to be done well - as the big brands know.
As far as what works most effectively, the rules have changed regarding online display advertising. Just as readers "filter out" the ads in magazines, or fast-forward through them on TV, so they're learning to ignore certain types of adverts on websites. Often referred to as "banner blindness", it's been suggested that this phenomenon actually demonstrates the increasing maturity of the web for advertising ...and that makes sense.
In the industrial, scientific and technical markets, the web is now easily the dominant medium for reaching customers. If you want to simply get your name in front of professionals, you're now just scratching the surface if you use traditional methods such as magazines and exhibitions. In terms of "eyeballs", these have simply become marginalised.
So you know where everyone's looking. On the web. But how do you get them to see you? Traditionally it's been to try to make your advert "stand out" and be the brightest thing on the page. If it moves, if it flashes, it all helps, has been the instinctive technique.
No longer. Website visitors have developed a sixth sense for separating the obvious adverts from the words they've come to read. Whilst that doesn't mean you have to make your adverts so low-key they're confused with editorial, it does mean that the first (and perhaps only) thing the advert should communicate is your message, rather than "this is an advert". You need to get readers to digest the content, and not think about the fact that it's an advert.
So, how do you do this? Armed with all the in-depth statistics we have on the hundreds of advertisers on the Pro-Talk websites, we've developed a series of suggestions, below, which will help you create more effective adverts. Obviously, it's in our interest for your adverts to be more effective, because that's more likely to make you come back for more. So if you'd like any specific, one-to-one advice, please don't hesitate to contact Sue Nutting, our customer care manager. Link: general information on advertising with us.
Ten Guidelines for a Top Banner
1. As well as choosing the most-visited websites to advertise on, also make sure you don't appear on pages as part of a group of adverts together. These (often eyestrain-inducing) areas of a page with loads of clashing graphics just scream "adverts!" and readers' eyes instinctively look elsewhere. Preferably, you want to be the only advert on a page, and if at all possible, "above the fold" (i.e you don't have to scroll down to see the advert). This is offered as standard by all Pro-Talk websites.
2. Before you design your advert, think about exactly what it is you want to achieve with it. Most likely it's just going to be a branding message ("We are ABC, we supply XYZ systems and take a look at our website"). This is what banner adverts do best, and simplicity is the key to making this work well. Alternatively, you might want to use the advert to generate sales leads for a specific product. If so, you'll want to consider an offer or inducement (even if it's only a brochure). Either way, ask yourself why you're placing this advert before designing its contents.
3. Keep the design as simple and clear as possible. If you know what you want to say (e.g "We are ABC, we supply XYZ systems and take a look at our website"), do you really need to say any more than that? Communicate the message as clearly as possible: that could involve just words, but if the product is distinctive, a picture may get the message over even better. Don't include pictures for the sake of it though.
4. Don't expect people to wait to see your message scroll by. Few people will wait to see a series of images flash by to spell out a complete message. Do you really need three frames to spell out "we... make... widgets" when the message can be communicated in one frame and digested in a single glance?
5. Remember, apart from shouting "advert", flashing, scrolling and too much movement can be irritating. Is it serving a purpose?
6. Try to link the graphical feel of the advert to the web page you're going to be asking people to click through to, almost as if it's a small "window" on to that page. Make your visitors feel comfortable.
7. Minimise the file size, or the advert may still be downloading when visitors start to scroll down the page. The main contributors to oversize ads are too much movement or too many "frames", but graduated ("fading") backgrounds are also our enemies here. Your advert should never be larger than 50kB. If you can keep it down to 20kB, even better. More people will see it, more quickly.
8. Write powerful copy. Use single words which imply a benefit. There's nothing wrong with using "free" or "affordable" if it gets people to click on your advert. Don't tell people why you want their business. Focus exclusively on what you can do for them.
9. If you've got an incentive for people to visit your website, highlight it. A free guide? A useful downloadable tool? Even a good online catalogue? Professionals love things which make their lives easier.
10. Don't just send people to the front page of your website without any thought. If you're advertising a particular product, make sure the advert clicks through to the page about that product. If you're undertaking a more general corporate or branding exercise, consider creating a special "landing" page, only available as a clickthrough from that advert, which welcomes visitors from the website, highlights the major products or capabilities of interest, and succinctly outlines the options available to the visitor. If the advert is part of a lead generation campaign, take the reader straight to a special page where they can submit their contact details in return for whatever you're offering (you are offering something, aren't you?).
More information
If you have any questions about advertising on the Pro-Talk websites, please email Tony Rand, Pro-Talk Sales Manager at any time.