Banner ads are down but not out. The billboard-like Internet ads that appear on web sites everywhere don't pull the response they once did. Yet, today's much lower ad prices are giving many businesses an affordable and effective way to spread the word online.
Back in 1994 when the Web was new, as many as 40 percent of people who saw a banner ad clicked on it. As time passed and banners became commonplace, response rates dropped to 1 to 2 percent. Those figures are comparable to what other media--radio, TV, newspapers, and direct mail--can deliver.
Banner ad rates have dropped from $20 to reach 1,000 people a year ago to just five or six dollars today. Even though the trendy luster of the Web has passed, there are still millions of interested prospects to be found online. This could be the best time ever for small and medium-sized businesses to stock up on banner ads.
The Internet ad industry isn't taking response rates lying down. Recently the Internet Advertising Bureau approved standards for new, larger banners. The new "wide skyscraper" size has already appeared on top sites and is three times larger than what we are used to. Advertisers hope the larger size will get reader attention, converting more sales.
The experts warn, do not take leave in the Flash banner of the new technology. The quality of your offer and the clarity of the message are still the most important factors for obtaining the results. Here are five ways to ensure that you receive the flag Protect attention and the response:
* Your banner should ask the reader to take action.
Something as simple as "click now! On your banner can be the answer.
* Use the words that arouse the interest and emotion to create. Offer free and are favorites. I begin with a word line with the action. Buy, save, use, and Rush and work well.
* Press the button on your products or services. Most customers forget this point, their products and functions. See how the reader a function leads to some use, based on their situation. Chrome bumper on the 2000 Gizmo saves time and reduces costs.
Animated banners that a better response than static ads. Page banner and networks in the rule of guidelines to help your banner at a crossroads. Keep your ad size 12k. Everything always takes longer to the detriment of a person with a slow dial-up online for around 80 percent of Americans.
If you have photos in your banner, keep in low resolution for quick loading. In many cases you can use the standard 256-color Web security in just 16 for a "slight" flag.
Banner readers step by two or three plates. Put your most important message for the first board, so that these slow connections not miss, if not the second group of pop-up window before you click. I love the offer on the first round table with a few tasty details on the second.
If you flag is easily and quickly loads, do not hesitate, the most important part of your e-mail on the third plate. Example: (1) Tired? (2), to feel better soon (3) receive Energizomine ... Click here!
Before you commit big money to your banner ad campaign, test your ad or ads with a 30 day trial run. Most banner networks provide reliable statistics on how many people have seen your ad (impressions) and how many clicked on it to go to your site (click-throughs). You can also check the server logs your web host provides to see where hits are coming from.
Pay close attention to the web page visitors are taken to after they click on your banner. One of the biggest complaints is users can't find information about the offer they saw on the banner. Tailor a special page to correspond with your banner. Make sure you give plenty of
information, ways for prospects to contact you, how to buy, and what your product or service costs. Too many sites are leaving these points out of their sales page, making this one of the chief causes of lagging banner response.
Banner ads are the Internet's main advertising vehicle. Over the next few years, as more and more people get fast broadband Internet connections, we will see "rich media" banners that look more like television.
Low ad prices and less competition makes this a great time to promote your offer or name online. By following these simple tips you can make banners a reliable part of your marketing arsenal.
Learn More: Banner Maker
