Advertising Online
Online advertising is projected to be a $35 million industry in 2012, with most of the investment going toward search and banner ads but an ever-increasing flow of money going toward interactive and video ads.
Online advertising is a push-marketing vehicle in a pull-marketing world. (For definitions of those terms, flip back to the start of this chapter.) The danger for advertisers is that web users hate the intrusion of ads that interrupt their online activity. But — and here’s the key to success — when an ad provides entertainment or information they embrace, it pays off doubly: once with a good impression and once with a click-through to your website.
Banner ads
Banner ads are the narrow image ads that run across third-party websites. When viewers click on the banner (called a click-through), they go directly to the advertiser’s site. Interest in banner ads waned largely due to consumer resistance until a Google program allowing banner ads on sites that participate in the Google AdSense program re-inspired interest in the format. Here are some factors that influence the effectiveness of a banner ad:
Creative design: This includes questions that invite interaction, free offers, and good use of colors.
Targeted placement: Place ads on sites your prospects are ...
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