Use Online Banner Ads Like Outdoor Billboards

Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 12:18 am

Contextual advertising on Google and other search engines is a popular way to promote Web sites because of the clicks they receive, but the powerful branding potential of banner ads also has its place in any online promotion campaign.

Text ads on the search engine result pages build response, but banner ads build branding and awareness. Branding and awareness drive repeat business.

All advertising is a mix of branding and response. A TV commercial brands a car model, and the hoped-for response is for the customer to go to the dealership (a lead) and buy the car (a conversion).

But what about online branding and response?

Pay per click ads are almost entirely response, which means they are all about the click. But look at the green type at the bottom of the ad. It usually shows the name of the Web site in a format that can’t be clicked. That’s branding.

In contrast to the small pay-per-click text ads, banners are large on purpose. Notice the simplicity of good banner ads. They show the name of the advertiser in large type, typically have one simple graphic and include maybe a few other words. They aren’t designed to get people to click on them as much as they are designed to get people to remember the name of the advertiser and visit the site either now or later, especially later, and come back again. They drive branding, awareness and frequency.

If branding has a place in a campaign, have the Web site running the campaign produce banner ads if you don’t create them yourself. They should be designed much like outdoor billboards. Include:

The name of the company or site in large, prominent type
One simple graphic
A few more smaller words, such as a slogan
Possibly a call to action, such as a phone number or “Click here”

With so many ads crowding Web sites, a banner ad has only a moment to make an impression, like an outdoor billboard on a highway with cars driving 65 miles an hour.

Make the most of it by making it brief, simple and effective.

For more information about building effective Web sites, click:

- Online business guide for tips about Web site promotion, advertising, site development and search engine optimization.

Scott Bateman is a professional journalist and online publisher with 29 years of experience in media including newspapers, radio stations and television stations. He has worked extensively for two major media companies and has launched numerous Web sites for media, local businesses and non-profit associations.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/use-online-banner-ads-like-outdoor-billboards-1343777.html