For some banner advertising is old hat. In their minds, banners are a has been advertising method. They say "its day is done." While I will admit that banner advertising is not what it once was, I disagree with the idea that its day is far from over. If that were indeed the case, why have so many invested in the idea of interactive banners?



You've probably seen them on many social networking sites, auction sites, and video sharing sites. they are cute little games designed to get your attention without being truly annoying. Once someone clicks on the game and plays, they are automatically taken to the sponsor's site. It's a technique that works, but not the only one.

A banner's ability to lure customers is based largely on design and content. This alone can make or break its usefulness to the business it represents. Its main function is to pave the way for businesses to promote themselves. A good, well designed banner with eye catching content can mean all the difference between a high click thru rate or a dismal one.

One good idea is o analyze those banners that have caught your attention. What was it that caught your eye? Was it the colors used? Was it the text used? Or how it was presented? All of these are important issues to be considered when designing your own customized banners.

Another consideration is content. Creating a sense of urgency seems to be one of the best approaches. It seems to me that the ones that seem to grab my attention the most are the ones that use words like "click here," "free gift just for visiting," or "click now". For the individual designer, it could be something entirely different. It may be certain colors presented in certain ways.

Another aspect is consistency and presentation. The colors are eye catching and complimentary. Keywords are highlighted or are in bold print for emphasis and use words like "click here" or "limited offer" to stimulate response to the banner's message.

One major aspect to the success of banner advertising is file size. With the advent of dsl and cable, this may not be as large an issue as it once was some time ago, but keep in mind that there are still a large number of people who use dial up services and it is they whom you must be mindful of. Another factor that plays an importance here is the improvements in browser technology. The browser used to today are vastly superior to those used a few years ago. The rule of thumb here is the smaller the file size, the better. If it takes longer than ten seconds maximum to load, odds are it will never be seen. Obviously, banners that are not seen are useless.

For generic banners it is best to have seven words or less. Otherwise, it will have too many words and will be ignored.

There are a number of websites available to help in the design of banners. Many are free, while others offer a paid subscription for using their services. The difference here can be significant. If it is a free service, the banner will likely carry their (the free banner creation site's) logo and possibly url. Certainly it will carry some sort of reference to their site. Paid services do not as a general rule.

Banners still have their uses in Internet Advertising. While it is not as high as it once was, it still has an important part to play. Its design, content, and colors, can mean all the difference between a higher click through rate and one that leaves much to be desired.