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The web is such a great place to sell your product or business and data shows internet marketers are cashing in. Just imagine - almost 30 billion US dollars were splurged on online shopping in the US during the last holiday season alone. The sales figures are rising as more and more people worldwide flock to the web. They're not just to surfing idly, mind you, but keeping an eye out for interesting buys. And judging from the huge online turnover last year, they sure have money in their hands. Helping drive online business are banner ads which-hold your breath-generate up to 85% of all paid net traffic! Yes, online advertising is alive and well, and very profitable indeed. And crafting them well allows you to hit your mark and get your share of the online pie. Here are a few tips to create banner advertising that sells. 1. Have a great headline. Stop readers on their tracks with an interesting news, proposition, or promise of a really cool reward. A powerful headline is a hook that attracts readers and makes them hungry to learn more. Keep it short, clear, and compelling. Write a few and ask the opinion of a potential target to help you decide on what's best. 2. Look like a pro. Your ad says so much about you, so earn readers' respect and trust by ensuring that the grammar and spelling are perfect, the font styles and sizes are readable, and the design is polished. Use primary colors (blue, yellow, and red) which have been found by researchers to attract more attention and curiosity. 3. Aim for a clear target. Before you even start writing the banner ad, be very focused about your target market. It will make it easy for you to decide on the appropriate language and tone to use, as well as the sites on which to place it. With a clear target, you won't waste money on placements that do not reach your intended audience, or on ads that talk above or below their head. 4. Promise benefits not features. A feature is a service while a benefit is what the consumer can derive from the service. For example, don't promise "A great Caribbean hotel!" but emphasize instead on "An unforgettable Caribbean holiday!" People relate better and act more favorably when you make them feel how your product or service can make them live better or enjoy it more. 5. Do your homework. Research promising blogs and ad networks to make sure that they really capture your market and offer competitive rates. Also seek the advice of those who have ventured into banner advertising to learn what worked and what didn't.
6. Start with a trial campaign. If you're doing banner advertising for the first time, launch a small effort first so you can study the conversion rate and make sure that you won't be paying more than what you will actually be making. When you have familiarized yourself with the mechanics and are comfortable with the return, that's when you can go on a full-fledged campaign. 7. Be honest. Don't promise what you can't deliver. Any attempt to trick anyone into fraudulent schemes or unrealistic expectations can ruin your product or website's reputation. In this age of networking and ubiquitous online forums, unflattering word-of-mouth started by a disgruntled customer is the last thing you need to get noticed. 8. Be simple. Avoid big words which turn off potential customers and are often misunderstood. Getting too "creative" or too clever can confuse customers and make them lose interest. 9. Be clear. Make obvious what the reader will get by clicking your banner ad. Will they get a free gift? Will they be saving 50% more? If they get the point at once, they can also be compelled to quickly decide favorably. 10. Call for action. Say exactly what you expect your potential customers to do. Do you want a form filled up? Do you want them to click a small icon? Ads with an urgent call to action get more positive response. In fact, research shows that a simple "Click here" placed on the right side of an ad has 15% more chances of getting acted upon. 11. Use words that grab attention. People freeze and read on when they see the words like "Free," "Big savings," or "Two days left!" Incorporate these head turners and you will generate more traffic. 12. Ask intriguing questions. Research reveals that using headlines in the form of questions get 16% more attention. They initiate interaction and have a high probability of generating a response. 13. Keep your ad fresh. Don't place an ad and leave it unchanged for a long time. Keep it up to date with new information or looking current with new fonts, colors, or graphics. 14. Use animation. Banner ads that move have a dramatic effect and capture attention better than static ones. If you have the budget, use flash animation to show meaningful shots of your product or highlight your headline. Just don't overdo it with unnecessary movement and blinking colors that can be very irritating. Keep the effects brief or the potential customer can move away before you have made your point. 15. Get good placement. Where your ads are placed has a huge effect on its chances of being noticed. Choose spots that have good visibility. Research has found that banner ads placed at the top of a page are clicked more. To be sure, ask the website owner where your ad will appear and how many other ads will be there with it. Negotiate for good placement and consider other sites if there would be many other ads vying for attention. 16. Control your frequency. Make sure your ads don't become annoying through overexposure. Monitor click-through results and it will help you determine if a particular banner ad needs to be retired or changed.
17. Keep file size low. Making your ad under 15kb makes for easy loading and immediate viewing.
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