Tips
Ten
Tips for successful banner advertising on the Internet
Courtesy of DoubleClick
Lesson 1: The Word "FREE"
If your offer includes any type of free trial or free sample,
make sure your ad clearly states it.
The word FREE not only catches the eye, but also usually raises
the click-rate.
People love deals, especially when they are free. So if your
offer involves anything free,
make sure you advertise it in the banner.
Lesson 2: Pose Questions
Don't just make statements or show pretty pictures. Use questions
("Looking for free software?", "Have you seen?").
They initiate an interaction with the banner by acting as a teaser.
They entice people to click on your banner. More importantly, they can raise click-through by 16% over average.
Lesson 3: Bright Colors
Colors effect the eye differently. Using bright colors can
help attract a user's eye, contributing to higher response rates. Research has shown that
blue, green and yellow work best, while white, red, and black are less effective.
Lesson 4: Make Your Offer Clear
While cryptic banners can often garner attention, they are
not more important than a good offer. Make your offer obvious to the user. State clearly in your ad
what you're offering and how easy it is to get it. If your offer is a good one it will help your response more than
any fancy creative ever could.
Lesson 5: Qualify your Audience in the Banner
Click-through is not always the best barometer of an effective
campaign. If the people coming to your site are not interested in your
product once they get there, click-through means nothing. By specifying your audience in your creative, you drive a more
targeted and qualified audience to your offer and not one simply attracted by a clever ad.
Lesson 6: Use Animation
Animation can help you catch a user's eye. Strategic use
of movement grabs attention more effectively than static banners. Using simple Java or gif animation can increase
response rates by 25%.
Lesson 7: KISS (Keep it simple stupid!)
If your offer is confusing or especially elaborate, odds
are the consumer is going to either ignore it, or take leave your site long before you get the result you are
looking for. Making your offer brief and easy to understand is a very important step in getting your audience
to click on your ad, buy your product, or fill out your lead form.
Lesson 8: Call to Action:
As in traditional forms of direct marketing, telling consumers
what to do helps raise response rates. Simple phrases such as "Click Here", "Visit Now"
and "Enter Here" tend to improve response rates by
15%. These phrases should be strategically placed in the ad, preferably
on the right side. This is where the eye will be drawn.
Lesson 9: Incentives
Everybody likes a good offer, and consumers on the Web are
no different. Using premiums and incentives is an extremely effective way of getting the final sale you are
looking for. Getting someone to click on your banner is not a given, an incentive of some kind goes a long
way towards raising both your sales and click-through.
Lesson 10: Leads
Simply trying to sell your product through an advertising
campaign can be very difficult. The Web is full of buying consumers, but usually only after they have become familiar
with your product. By gathering a list of qualified leads, you speak to a more interested audience and
considerably raise your chances of closing a sale.
