Banner ads have been used for advertising online since the early 1990s. The earliest banner ads were basic, with some being little more than text on a background. When images were included, they were low-quality, as the ads needed to be able to load quickly.
With today’s internet speeds and changes in consumer spending, as well as changes in how many people are online, banner ads have changed quite a bit. Still, they’re used as an effective way to drive more customers to a website. To do this, though, there is one thing every banner ad needs to have.
How Banner Ads Are Used Today
Banner ads are the ads seen along the top, side, or bottom of a web page. They’re generally designed with a static image, though they can be animated, and they’re designed to get viewers to click on the ad and visit the website.
Today’s business owners use banner ads to increase brand awareness and to help drive traffic to their website.
Brand awareness increases the more a viewer sees media that includes branding, such as an image that includes a logo, specific color scheme, and perhaps an image that communicates a certain feeling. Banner ads are great for this because, even if the viewer doesn’t click the ad, they’re still going to see it and, over time, will start to recognize the business and whatever it’s offering.
When banner ads are designed and deployed correctly, they are more likely to be clicked, which drives more traffic to a landing page and sets more visitors on the path to conversion. This then amounts to more revenue that can be traced back to a banner ad.
Banner ads are generally a part of an overall online marketing plan or campaign, but they’re not something to just create, publish, and forget about. Careful attention to the design of the banner ad can make a huge difference and enable the business to gain a more profitable response.
This is why it’s important to understand the most basic components of a banner ad.
Main Components Of A Banner Ad
Banner ads can vary a great deal but the most successful will include a few different standard components, all of which are designed to work together to make the ad more effective. The common parts of a banner ad that can’t be overlooked include:
- Graphics – The graphics are the main part of a banner ad that will grab someone’s attention. Graphics should be high-quality, professionally created, and should promote the overall message of the banner ad.
- Text – The text should be kept to a minimum, but it should help advance the message, clearly state the offer, and include the call to action to get viewers to click.
- Call to Action – A call to action is a prompt for the viewer to follow. For many banner ads, the standard call to action will tell the viewer to click or click now so they don’t miss out. It should be clear and enticing as the ad will be pulling the viewer’s attention from whatever else is on the webpage. The goal is to bring them from that page and follow the call to action.
- Color Scheme – The color scheme of the ad should be designed with branding in mind. It’s crucial to stick with the brand’s or campaign colors to help promote brand awareness, create a certain feel, and to ensure everything is consistent from the ad to the landing page and beyond.
- Layout – The layout of a banner ad should be simple. It should be clean, balanced, and suited to the dimensions of the ad, which will vary based on where it is meant to appear.
Catching The Viewer’s Eye
What catches the viewer’s eye when they’re scrolling? Chances are, it’s the graphics in the ad before the text, the layout, or other components. The graphics will be the first thing they notice, and once they look at the ad, they’ll notice everything else.
This means graphics need to be chosen carefully, be suited to the campaign, and be professionally incorporated.
Graphics for a banner ad can be static or animated. Animated banner ads can attract more attention, but care does need to be given to ensure moving elements are not excessively distracting or annoying. If it isn’t done right, there’s a much higher chance that the viewer will keep scrolling past the ad to clear it from their view.
Static images are often better, and they should be created in a way that helps promote the banner ad’s message; they must be relevant not simply an excuse or trick to grab the viewer’s attention. The graphics should match what is being offered as well as the overall message of the campaign and brand as a whole.
What Gets A Viewer To Click On An Ad
Graphics are going to grab the viewer’s attention, but what gets them to click on the ad instead of scrolling by? The one thing every effective banner ad should include is a value proposition.
The value proposition is what the customer absorbs when they look at the ad, what sticks in their mind, and what often determines whether they click. This element is more than the overall message in the ad or the call to action; it tells the customer they’ll get something if they decide to click the ad now.
Value propositions should be simple and clear, so it’s easy for the viewer to understand why they should click on the ad. They should also briefly answer questions a viewer might have, like why should they be interested in the business?
Basically, a value proposition tells the viewer they will experience or enjoy something that starts with clicking on the ad. It’s not a call to action that says to click now, but rather an explanation as to why the viewer should click.
By including a value proposition, you’re helping them make the connection between their needs and wants and whatever it is you are offering.
Why Is A Value Proposition So Crucial?
The value proposition is the most important component on a banner ad since it’s what persuades the viewer to click the ad and visit the website. The value proposition should be straightforward and memorable, and it should tell the viewer why the product or service is valuable for them specifically.
Usually, a value proposition is brief but catchy and just creates a sense of what the customer can expect when they click.
Without this, the viewer may not make the connection between their needs and interest and your offer. Everything else about the ad may seem interesting, but if they don’t think clicking will provide them with anything, they’ll likely scroll away.
Without a value proposition, there will be fewer clicks and even fewer leads resulting from the clicks.
How To Come Up With A Value Proposition Message
Just because a value proposition should be simple and straightforward doesn’t mean it’s easy to create. The basic idea is to tell the viewer how the product or service will fulfill some requirement or want and improve their quality of life. Yet, there is only a brief amount of space for it to do this, which is why creating the perfect value proposition message can be difficult.
To start, think of the target audience and what they might want and how your offer satisfies that. When creating a value proposition message, always think about what will be relevant to them, how the product or service will benefit them, and how to get this message across clearly and simply.
There are many ways to do this, depending on the products or services offered, and depending on the landing page the banner ad will lead to. Though the website might only sell one particular product, the business might create different banner ads for various target audiences, where the value proposition might be unique for each one.
The key is to express the benefits, and the product might benefit different target audiences in different ways.
Examples Of Value Proposition Messages
It’s often helpful to read some examples of value proposition messages to figure out what works well and what doesn’t. Each business will have a unique proposition message and may have more than one if they’re creating a few banner ads to reach different targeted audiences.
Some examples of value proposition messages include the following:
- Turning stressed homebuyers into happy homeowners
- A faster, tougher clean for easier, shorter chores
- Delicious, natural food for happy, healthy pets
- This is how to make staying in shape feel great
These are general examples that can be applied to everything from real estate services and cleaning products to pet food supply and personal training, but they do show how a business can apply their offer to a sense of value they create for the buyer.
If the business can create a value proposition that is tailored to their audience and clearly gets their message across, it’s more likely the banner ad will be clicked. At that point, the landing page can provide more information that encourages to become a customer.
If you’re working on the design and messaging of a banner ad to drive more traffic to your website, think carefully about the value proposition you will include.
Every part of the ad can help communicate this message, including the colors, the graphics, the text, and the call to action. Careful consideration will help you create the perfect value proposition, which will make your banner ad more effective and will drive a lot more traffic to your website.
