Banner Advertising
The changing face of this online advertising format
Not to be confused with outdoor billboard advertising, as part of the ambient advertising umbrella - this form of internet advertising has seen dramatic changes in its overall appearance since the nineties.
This advertising media has gone from basic to flashy and back to basic again in its mission to please an ever-changing audience. It now seems that people in a consumer or business frame of mind are less likely to click on banners that go out of their way to grab our attention. So, what is the best way to use this form of media advertising?
Well, banners are designed to say something, to tell a basic story about a product or to offer a more corporate message. It seems the latter has taken over in media sales pitches these days, as the normal formats of 468 x 60 and 728 x 90 leaderboard ads are not quite bringing in the same results for product designed adverts. Instead, banners are seen more as 'name up in lights' versions of Internet Advertising in many cases and even advertising agencies have realised that simple designs these days are bringing the most clicks.
So, are banner ads still good value for money? Well, if you compare them on just a value per click basis then probably not. Of course ppc advertising does seem to give better value as advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ads. However, the standard size banners are also included as a ppc option on many networks.
So, what is the bottom line? Well, your internet banner advertising should be simple enough for people to recognise your product or service very quickly. It may also help if your banner matches the colour scheme and general environment of the website you are advertising on. In other words, don't over-complicate things and keep your advertising design simple!
You'll find a great deal of information about online advertising on this site, as well as articles and advertising guide pages on advertising costs and much more.
Also see:
Web advertising
Internet Media Buying
New media advertising