Banner advertising has been around for a long time. Despite its longevity, the jury is still out as to whether these promotions are actually useful or just plain ugly and obtrusive. Considering how many marketers actually get great results with banner ads, the more relevant question seems to be not whether to use them, but how to use them.
As important as banners continue to be in this era of mobile phones and tablets, being successful when using them requires an effective design. Follow the tips below about how to create the best banner advertising so yours will not be an eyesore.
Use Short Copy
Internet users process online promotions very quickly, looking at them for as little as two seconds in their quest to find other content. In that amount of time, it is estimated that readers can only interpret about 10 words.
Considering this, you want to limit the words in your banner ads so it is easier to get your message across. Limit copy to between 5 and 10 words to increase the chance that readers will actually read and interpret your ad in those critical seconds.
Focus on the Brand
When you think about the reason for using short, concise copy, promoting products with banner advertising can be especially difficult. While it can be done skillfully by using a few words and good product imagery, you should focus on brand building as well. Include product branding logos in all ads and frames so there is no question about what brand is represented.
Treat banner ads like a highway billboard. They use few words and a single product image while prominently highlighting the brand with its logo, associated colors, and typeface.
Be Consistent with Marketing Campaigns
In addition to focusing on your brand, it is essential to keep banner advertising consistent with your other marketing efforts. Make these simple, yet effective promotions an integrated part of a complete marketing plan. Match them to your other ads, strengthening the overall message your company is trying to convey.
Consistency can also make your banner ads more effective when using fewer words since a banner's appearance helps create important brand and product connections.
Make It Obvious
Always design banner advertising so it looks like it is a promotion and does not simply blend into the webpage. This is especially important with ads for mobile in order to prevent readers from interpreting them as a part of the page content and not a promotion for your brand or product.
Banner ads should stand out enough so there is no question that they are independent of the page, not integrated into the copy. This should be easy to achieve when creating a design according to the tips mentioned above.
While it is true that some banner advertising looks bad and functions poorly, a properly designed ad can work very well for you. Make the most of banner ads by keeping the copy short, focusing on the brand, and using them as a part of a complete marketing plan. You will be able to say more with much less and increase the effectiveness of this valuable advertising real estate on mobile and desktop devices!