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Creating Eye
Catching
Banner Ads
By Julie
Frost Copyright
1999
Everyone with a web site should have at least one
banner - for banner exchange programs, advertising on
other
sites, and targeted reciprocal banner exchanges. So, what
do
you do if you have no experience in creating an eye
catching banner?
Read on...
Banners are a mini advertisement with ONE purpose -
To get the viewer to click on it! (Of course, you may use
banners to
brand your name or other such uses, but ALL
banner
creators want the viewers to click their creations!)
Animated banners have proven to be clicked more
often, but you have to be careful they don't drag a pages
load time
down
too much, or surfers may be resentful. And we've all
seen some animation that was downright ugly, so be
careful not
to go overboard.
So, how to get people to click your banner, animated
or not? Remember some of these key factors:
A quick load time is imperative. People won't wait
to see what you banner says, so make sure they don't have
too. You can do this by limiting the colors you use in
your banner,
and by the size of the banner. ("Average"
banners are either 400x40 pixels or 468x60 pixels.) Be
sure to save
your banner
as a .gif file (as opposed to a .jpg.)
As mentioned earlier, you want the viewer to CLICK
the banner, not read your sales pitch, mission
statement, etc. A short one liner with a great incentive
for them to
click may work best. Don't write: "FREE MONEY -
Click
Here!" if you're advertising your secretarial
service, because
such trickery usually only backfires. On the other hand,
if you're promoting your expertise in finding lost money,
that
may not be a bad line.
Some people are turned off if your business name or
product name is
not in the banner, and will not click
through. But I think the majority of people click on
banner that
grabs their curiosity, so you may or may not want to
include
this information.
One thing you should include is your URL - IF you
own one that is short and memorable! You will be branding
your web site address.
Contrasting colors will help your banner stand out.
I'm a firm believer in having all of your marketing
materials work together, so try to choose colors, and a
'look',
that match your web sites own colors and look (as well as
your
offline marketing materials.).
Writing "Click Here" somewhere on the
banner has helped countless banners be clicked on more
times then
those without. By reminding readers that Yes!, this is a
clickable
graphic
leading to something you're interested in, you'll
get that many more hits to your site.
A newer trend is to use things that look like the
things we click on our computers everyday - windows to
type
in, drop-down screens, etc.
Having a nicely designed banner is very important -
just as having nicely designed business cards, brochures,
flyers, and web sites are of utmost importance. Remember,
the key is to get them to click, and look good doing
it.
All Contents Copyright © 1999 By Julie Frost.
_________________________________________________
Julie Frost, author of the online booklet,
"Start Your Own Home Based Web Design
Business", works from
home with her two young daughters at her side. You can
purchase
her online booklet for just $19.95 by sending a blank
email to: <mailto:webdesign@yourhomebiz.com> Or
visit
her site at ht
tp://www.your
homebiz.com/infomarket/webdesignbiz.html
for more information. Email Julie.
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