Do you have a favorite website that used to be commercial free? And then, BAM! one day it was covered with annoying strobe-light flashing banners that drove you crazy? I do. I used to love checking in at Weather.com until it became a feeding frenzy of particularly annoying banners. Now, I only go there if I absolutely have to.
Well, that’s what happens when Marketing folks find websites that are attractive to a huge group of people. “Aha,” they say, “this is a good place to display our message!” And they are happy to pay for the privilege.
Some companies use banner ads specifically for “branding” to keep their name out there - everywhere possible, in fact - so you are constantly reminded about them. Some companies use banners to promote special offers that drive you to their website. BUT, many banner placements are experiencing lower click-through rates due to “banner blindness” in the viewing eyes of the general public. See? We CAN ignore those pesky ads and make Marketing Folks pay attention! Hah!
So now what? Should companies quit using banner ads? “Hardly!” according to a panel of Marketing Specialists from Microsoft who claim that “banner ad blindness is a good thing.” Their point was that banner ads need a new approach in order to grab your attention. (Have you seen the comical Microsoft ads featuring Bill Gates and Seinfeld? And, recall the BIG DEAL about Super Bowl ads!)
New marketing research shows that banner ads that “personally interact” with the viewer work! And, the climbing click-through rates prove it.
“So,” you ask, “how do I get a ton of viewers to click-on my banner ad?” In a nutshell, if you want to run a banner ad to get your message across, design it to “involve the viewer.” For example, one banner ad that was particularly successful, challenged the viewer by asking a question,
“Do All Blue Fraggle Widgets Turn Green At Night? True or False?” (You get the idea.)
And sure enough, the viewer is challenged to interact and will click on the answer to see if he is right. Immediately he is greeted by a very interesting landing page that praises him for knowing the correct answer and offers him a deal he can’t refuse. He feels all warm and fuzzy about this product and has personally responded to this cleverly designed “interactive banner.”
The average viewer wants to know, “What’s in it for ME?” and “How can you solve my pain-points?” So, if you can appeal to the viewer one-on-one, on a very personal level, they will respond to your banner and generate a much higher percentage of click-throughs to your site.
What are some examples of banner ads that you find appealing? Or, annoying? I personally am offended by strobe-light ads and immediately leave the site if they are present.
If you are in a jewelry-related field and are considering a banner ad on Ganoksin.com, but have no idea where to start, please feel free to give me a call (or email) and I will be happy to help you with suggestions on ways to design your own banner.
Clever banner ads DO generate traffic to your website!
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