Simple Steps to a Great Banner Ad

Everyone is using them now and if you're planning on creating your own banner ad then there are some things that you should know.

Standard Size

I'll admit I made this mistake. I was too caught up in creating a really nice looking design that I made something that was not the standard size. Now it wasn't much off the norm but when I found out I promptly changed the size. Keep to standards. I know that if your ad is slightly larger it may get more attention but if we all start doing this where will it stop? Creating an ad that is larger than standard is not the way to get attention. And in many places they will require you to keep to the industry standard.

Content

This must be short, simple, and very direct. You've really got to simplify this. I know that this is hard but there is not a lot of room on these banner ads and the more information that you try to cram on there the less likely that someone will read, or try to read it. Keep it to a few words, if you can't manage to say what you want in a few words enlist the help of friends and family, ask them to define what it is that you do, or sell in five words or less. You may get a really clever saying to use by doing this.

Color and Animation

Keep colors eye catching but easy to look at and make sure that they match your site. Maybe it's just me that prefers this but I've clicked on banner ads that looked really great and ended up on these hideous web pages. Try to match your ads to the look of your website.

Animation, please, please, please keep this simple and a short download. I don't know how many times I've clicked off a page before the banner ad animation even started. Please make sure that you run your ad several times. Have others watch it, make sure that the download is reasonable. Don't assume that everyone has DSL. Now you also don't have to make allowances for older computers or bad connections but most of the country now has enhanced or accelerated connections. Make sure that your ad downloads quickly on an accelerated connection and you're doing fine.

Call to Action

Apparently we're all still highly suggestible since studies show that call to action words still work. Things like: call now, click here, and buy now. Try to work some call to action words into your content if you can, it won't hurt.

Lastly for those of you working at home, or running your own business. Never underestimate the value of family and friends for critiques. They may not be able to tell you what is wrong with the way your ad looks but if they look at it and only say, "Eh, it's okay." Then don't use it. We all instinctively know what looks right or wrong. If you ask around and don't get positive feedback from family and friends who love you and want your business to succeed then what do you think that a total stranger is going to think? Also before you even start creating your own ad, look around at what everyone else is doing. Decide what you like and don't like about other ads that you see. And then don't make the same mistakes.

About The Author

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal

Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

---

Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites

Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche... Read More

My Wacky Test Marketing Experiment Succeeded

In a previous article I recounted engaging in a wacky... Read More

A Frugal Internet Marketing Strategy That Works!

So you finally created the website that your business or... Read More

Networked Markets Are Democratic, Structured Markets Are Republican

Today I was checking out Michelle's A Small Victory. There... Read More

The Struggling Internet Marketer

Instead of giving you advice on how to make a... Read More

Find Your Niche

If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around... Read More

The Long Sales Letter: Should You Use it In Your Advertising?

If you're a web marketer and you've done your homework,... Read More

Classified Ads - What Works & What Doesn?t

Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email... Read More

Online Marketing Donts

There are over 200 million people worldwide connected to the... Read More

The Five Golden Keys To Massive Passive Income

You can earn a large monthly passive income with a... Read More

Don?t Let Legitimate Email Marketing Campaigns Suffer A Junk Mail Fate

Volume-based filtering may be pre-sorting your marketing messages to the... Read More

Why You Should Use Turnkey Websites To Jumpstart Your Ecommerce Activity

Most people looking to do business online have heard of... Read More

Book Yourself Solid, 7 Keys To Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing

If you haven't already heard the buzz, Michael Port is... Read More

Website Sales: 10 Magical Awesome Tactics To Multiply Your Orders

Do you want to open the floodgate of orders at... Read More

The Essentials of Free Internet Marketing

Given a solid product, a well-developed Web site, and a... Read More

What Is Drop Shipping? The Perfect Solution

Drop shipping one of the greatest business innovations since products.... Read More

10 Psychological Desires To Insert Into Your Ad

1. Most people like surprises because it's a change of... Read More

Guide To Free Advertising

When I first started my internet home business, I realized... Read More

3 Steps To Effectively Increase Your Marketing Response

It's well known that internet marketers are in the business... Read More

Make Money With A Business Opportunity Online

There are so many business opportunities these days that promise... Read More

Internet Marketing ? Long Term Strategy

Once your site is up and running, the best method... Read More

Arrgh. . .Those Stupid Internet Marketing Cliches Are True!

If you have read any internet marketing resource ever created,... Read More

Your First Web Site

And you are so proud of it. You have no... Read More

Wealth Is Around The Corner

There are so many simple and achievable ways to make... Read More

The Niche Website Naming Secret

Today I was optimizing a couple new websites for search... Read More

Joint Ventures - 8 Incredible Ideas to Boost Your Web Business!

A joint venture is when two or more businesses work... Read More

3 Steps To Online Marketing Competence!

Whoever said knowledge is power, was wrong.Way too many people... Read More

Five Ways to Give People a Reason to Buy Your Product or Service

Overcome lackluster copy and lack of product sales by using... Read More

20 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that... Read More

How To Increase Your Profits By 40% Or More With No Extra Work!

Before I expand on the above heading, I do have... Read More

Internet Marketing ? Short Term Strategy

After spending a lot of time and effort on building... Read More

The Truth About Info Business

Let me save you, at least, several hundreds of dollars... Read More

Guru... Schmooru... So What! The Internet Gurus Unmasked

The word "guru", in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as:1.... Read More