Here are some simple ideas for effective banner ads that’ll make sure your advertising money isn’t wasted.
The aim of any website ad is to draw people into your website, boosting your traffic and increasing website visibility. The key phrase that most people forget when creating an ad is the whole idea of “drawing people to a website”, not placing your entire website into a very small box. The aim of any ad should not be cramming a heap of information into a very small space – instead the perfect ad should give viewers just enough information to intrigue them, but not enough information so that they don’t actually have to visit your site to find out more. The “ideal” ad will make the reader want to find out more.
1. Use Color (keep it simple)
Color is an effective element in banner advertising, as it determines the visual impact of your banner. Try to use a vivid shade for your background, but keep it lighter – no dark blue or black.
As important as color is, you also have to make sure you limit it’s use – keep the background monochromatic – don’t overcrowd your banner, and make sure your colors don’t clash.
2. Differentiation Through Imagination.
The pitfall of any banner advertisement is trying to fit a thesis into a 535×100 pixel box – it never works and will make your advertisement look cheap and unprofessional. Instead, consider what is the very core of your business or website that you want to convey to your customers. What is the essential to your business? How can you help your customers? What can you offer them to make their lives “easier, better, or faster”?
The less words you use, and the more your advertisement makes people go “Wha….?”, the more clicks you will get. We call it differentiation through imagination – the more wild, unpredictable and radical your advertisement is the more it will be noticed, and the more it will be clicked.
Display is also important. We take the modernist approach to advertising by keeping the colors simple and uniform, however it’s really up to you here to exercise some originality. Make sure you find a font that complements your banner, and one that doesn’t clash with the background. Take a break from the generic stuff and consider something different.
3. The Finishing Touches
The often overlooked areas of banner advertising can make a difference to the final product. Ensure that the most important text in the advertisement is big, clear, and more obvious than anything else. Don’t overcrowd your advertisement with unnecessary images and/or text – whitespace is very important.
Also, providing viewers with an action path, such as a button that says “find out more” or something similar will help in converting views to clicks, as buttons reassure people of where they’re going if they choose to click on your ad.
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