Creating the best banner can be challenging; however, an effective banner can increase your CTR by 2% to 3% or more while a standard banner can provide an average of only .04%. How can you create a compelling banner? Consider some of the elements below while creating your ad, and watch it increase your CTR.

Create Your Banner Design

The design of the banner is the most important element in order to grab the user’s attention as quick as possible. Surprisingly a good banner doesn’t have to look good but it must work. We’ve all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, it’s similar with banners. You’ll want to try to keep them simple yet attractive. Simple banners are more effective. Don’t over “design” as your banner will get lost all-together. The ad might only have a few seconds to make an impact on the viewer. Choose the right colors (not too bright) and font styles (not too fancy) that are similar to the website you’re promoting as it attracts the user and provides creditably.

If the banner offers too much information, it leaves no reason for the viewer to click through to your website, which is where the majority of the conversion messaging should be placed. Try a variety of styles and sizes to see which works best for your campaign. There are a variety of banner sizes to choose from.

Sizes Offered (Pixels)

• 120×600
• 160×600
• 200×200
• 250 x 250
• 300 x 250
• 336 x 280
• 468 x 60
• 720 x 90

Call to Action (CTA)

Not only is the design; color, size, and font character important, but you’ll need to choose the right words which can give an immediate message and sense of urgency to your audience. Use a larger font for your CTA as it will attract the user even if they are reading content from the website. The most common and simple conversion phrases are:

• Click Here
• Join Now
• More Information
• Buy Now
• Learn More

The words above are effective, but others may work in getting the users attention and evoke curiosity. To ensure the quality of the CTA, step back from the computer and act as if you are seeing it for the first time. Is it something you would be interested in clicking? If not, make adjustments and continue the process until you feel excited about it. It can be as simple as changing the size and color of the button or changing up the content.

Analyze the Data

It’s recommended to run each banner for 1-2 weeks allowing it to gather enough data to determine which ones had the highest CTR and at the lowest budget. Now that you have learned some useful tips on creating a great banner, it’s time to get started. And remember to continuously create, analyze and adjust until you’ve found your highest converting banner.

Contact Alter Imaging today, an internet marketing firm, to ensure your online presence is designed to increase interaction and conversion.