Web Banner Designs That Get Clicked

Web banner designs are increasingly important as businesses transition from newspaper and traditional advertising to the Web. Online news, blogs and social networking venues like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are proliferating. They offer a more precise way to reach potential customers. Creating effective Web banner designs is just the digital sister of print ad design. The differences are many though the aim is the same.

Fast loading and attention-getting

Just like traditional print advertising, an effective Web banner has to grab the reader’s attention. Though, there are some characteristics of Web banner advertising that are specific to the Internet. Here are a few.

• Ad Placement: “Above the Fold”.  The term is a carry-over from the newspaper industry, though the meaning is the same. Placement iindeed still a big reason as to whether or not your message gets seen. Whenever possible make sure your Web Banner Designs are positioned “above the fold”. However, “page layout algorithm” is now a big factor used by Google for Web pages that are “top heavy”. Danny Sullivan writes about the changing Web Banner Advertising “Top Heavy” factor in Google’s new ranking algorithm. Matt Cutts suggests that Web developers take a look at Google Browser Tools get get an idea of how much of a page’s content is first seen in relation to those monetizing Web Banner Designs.
• Optimized for fast loading. Fast loading, optimized Web Banner Designs can not be over-emphasized. The time it takes your advertisement to appear on a Web page determines whether your audience views it.  An experienced graphic designer will squeeze the last bit of pixel from the weight of your Web banner’s artwork.  However, what happens after you submit your banner ad design to an online publisher can out of your control.

•  Dynamic Banner Designs. Unlike newsprint advertising the Web offers a real-time data driven platform that can be huge advantage. To counter-act “Banner Blindness”, many programmers and banner ad designers have created different ways to draw attention to Web Banner Designs.
  • Interactive – Conditional coding that changes banner’s message or otherwise reacts to a user’s interaction  e.g. mouse-over or input.
  • Conditional – a.k.a. “Dynamic Display”, the banner ad changes its content based on different factors, e.g. browser location, age, politics. There is also “real-time” banner ad technology that gives the reader a personalized message for a more precise message at the right time.
  • Responsive Ads – Banner ads that are flexible and cross-browser ready. They are built with Mobile-First in mind.
  • Animated Banners– ActionScript Flash banner design offers a variety cool actions that can improve your ads visibility.