How to Use Banner Advertising Effectively

Contrary to popular belief, banner advertising is not as simple as coming up with eye-catching, splashy designs and putting them on targeted Web sites. Banner designers always evaluate the websites where their ads will be displayed before actually creating them.

Unfortunately, in many instances a web page is too cluttered, and advertising on it will just be a wasted effort. The banner can get lost in the clutter and your potential customers won't even see it. Before you decide to purchase advertising space on a Web site, carefully consider the following issues.

First, think about what other elements on the page will compete with your banner ad if you decide to advertise there. Ads can come from your competitors, or even from the same company selling the ad space. No matter what they're selling, every ad on that page is competing for the same audience (and their money) and your ad needs to be strong enough to capture your viewer's interest in the midst of other ads. If you can choose where your banner goes, pick somewhere as close to the top as possible for maximum viewing potential.

People who browse the Internet usually aren't doing so for the ads, but there's a good chance if you've targeted your ad correctly that they're searching the Internet for the type of product or service you offer. In this case, your banner ad needs to offer an incentive of some sort to capture your viewer's attention long enough for them to stop whatever they've been doing (article surfing, shopping or searching for a product, etc.) and click on your banner. Basically this means that your ad isn't just competing with other ads, it's competing with whatever content your potential customer went online to look for in the first place. This is why incentives are important to show the viewer there's something in it for them if they stop their current activity click on your ad.

The best way to ensure your ad will be seen by your target audience is to advertise on a website featuring ads that compliment (not compete with) your service or product. Your ad will stand out by offering something they can't find elsewhere on the page, which is essentially eliminating all competition-if only for as long as it takes for them to click your ad.

One way to do this is to place a banner placed in a search engine or other form of online directory. The audience is already targeted because most people who utilize search engines are looking for something specific. Purchasing banner space on the web page featuring results of a viewer's search might even provide the answer to their search, prompting them to visit your website.

Lastly, be on the lookout for advertising space with an amount of open space, called "white space", around it. (Note that the space doesn't actually have to be white, just free of other ads or content.) If it turns out that your ad is going to be placed next to content and there's nothing you can do about it, consider simplifying your banner and keep it free of complex graphics or colors.

Banner ads seem deceptively simple, but in truth a lot of thought and creativity are needed in order to make the ad effective. With proper placement on the web page and targeting the ad for better results, you should see more traffic coming to your site very soon.