Look guys don't get me wrong. I appreciate that the banner took a lot of
work to make.
I don't want to criticize John or anyone, but ...
A. Why can't we make a banner that does not mention Microsoft. Let's just be
positive. Linux ... The best O/S or something. Why must we bash Microsoft
all the time ?
B. I'd read some guidelines on banner design a long, long time back at
ad.doubleclick.net.
They are as follows:
Lesson 2: Pose Questions
Don't just make statements or show pretty pictures. Use questions ("Looking
for free software?", "Have you seen?"). They initiate an interaction with
the banner by acting as a teaser. They entice people to click on your
banner. More importantly, they can raise click-through by 16% over average.
We arn't asking any questions in our ad. Lets change it so it sounds like...
Want to get a stable O/S that never crashes ? Etc.
I'm not a creative person and would not know much about how to frame
questions. But it's sure worth a try.
Vishal
Full Details
Research Findings: Banner Effectiveness Tips
Lesson 1: Target, Target, Target
By utilizing the Web's ability to target, you can increase the effectiveness
and efficiency of your online advertising efforts. You can deliver your
message to specific industries, include or exclude specific geographic
regions or cities, target by user interest and even control frequency.
Through targeting, you can be sure that you are reaching your target
audience, and only your target audience.
Taking advantage of the Web's ability to deliver highly targeted audiences
will help you generate leads and sales and create the one-to-one
relationships which will extend and build your brand.
Lesson 2: Pose Questions
Don't just make statements or show pretty pictures. Use questions ("Looking
for free software?", "Have you seen?"). They initiate an interaction with
the banner by acting as a teaser. They entice people to click on your
banner. More importantly, they can raise click-through by 16% over average.
Lesson 3: Bright Colors
Colors effect the eye differently. Using bright colors can help attract a
user's eye, contributing to higher response rates. Research has shown that
blue, green and yellow work best, while white, red, and black are less
effective.
Lesson 4: Home is Not Always Sweet
All Web pages are not created equal when it comes to eliciting response.
While the home page often performs very well, a site may have other pages
that outperform it. Depending upon the advertiser, certain pages can deliver
a more targeted audience than others. By carefully analyzing these pages,
you can increase your response by placing your banner on a page that better
attracts your target audience.
Lesson 5: Location, Location, Location
According to research, banners that appear on first page load are more
likely to be clicked on. Negotiate ad placement on the top of page when
buying space. The best possible scenario is having banners placed both on
the top and on the bottom of a page.
Lesson 6: Use Animation
Animation can help catch a user's eye. Strategic use of movement grabs
attention more effectively than static banners. Using simple Java or .gif
animation can increase response rates by up-to 25%.
Lesson 7: Use Cryptic Messages
What did that ad say? What did that mean? Cryptic ad banners can help
involve a user in the message. Because the "sponsor" of the message is not
revealed, cryptic messages can be very intriguing.
But there is a downside. Branding is forfeited on the ad. This may not be an
issue if branding is not your main objective. Cryptic messages typically
increase click-through 18%.
Lesson 8: Call to Action:
As in traditional direct response, a call to action is known to raise
response rates. Simple phrases such as "Click Here", "Visit Now" and "Enter
Here" tend to improve response rates by 15%. These phrases should be
strategically placed in the ad, preferably on the right side. This is where
the eye will be drawn.
Lesson 9: Avoid Banner Burnout:
After how many impressions does click-through rate significantly decline?
After how many impressions do people start ignoring your banner? Our study
concluded that there indeed is a "sweet-spot" for user response. After the
fourth impression, average response rates typically dropped to under 1%. We
call this banner burnout, the point at which a banner stops delivering a
good Return on Investment. These findings are incredibly significant.
Controlling your frequency extends your reach and maximizes your ad dollar.
Lesson 10: Measure Beyond the Click:
Click-through is not always the best measurement of campaign effectiveness.
It depends on your objectives.
If you are simply trying to drive traffic, the click-through is great. If
you are trying to gather leads, the best measurement is the number of people
who clicked through and filled out a lead form. 3% click-through and 80%
lead fulfillment is better than 10% click-through and 20% fulfillment. If
you are trying to measure brand impact, conduct an online brand awareness
study, or measure user interaction with your site.
