How to
Design Banner Ads that Pull 24% Click-Throughs?
Web Design Tools
You will need a well designed banner or two on hand before you
begin participating in banner exchange programs or private
exchanges.
There are many web designers and graphic artists that can design
a banner for you. Be sure to get references for these services
first.
You can also design your own banner, using software such as
Paint Shop Pro. The typical size for a banner is 468 x 60
pixels. Using a smaller size for private exchanges is fine, but
a banner should never be any larger than this. You should also
use a graphics optimizer to shrink the size of the banner...try
to keep the size down to less than 10k.
Here are some secrets to design traffic-pulling banners from
Corey Rudl.
Use Color
It has been proven that vibrant colors such as yellow, blue, and
green draw a better response than banners designed using such
drab colors as gray and brown. The trick is to use color
tastefully. Draw their eye but don't repulse them. Here is an example of a banner that I use to
advertise
Chinesefooddiy.com:
Include a Call to Action
Be sure to tell people to "click here" or "go". It will
dramatically increase the response your banner receives,
particularly if you also underline the words to make it look
like a link. Many people won't realize that you banner is a link
unless you make it very clear. You literally have to tell people
what to do - don't make assumption that they will know that they
can click on it. Tell them do. Here is another example I
advertise
Chinesefooddiy.com:
Use Mock "Windows Control" Buttons Like
Menus and Click-Boxes
Research show that this kind of banners pull a click-through
rate of 3% to 8%. Menus and buttons that look like standard
Windows controls put people in the mindset that your banner can
be clicked on and gives them a subtle "call to action." Here is
one banner I advertise
Chinesefooddiy.com:
Include an Alternative Text Tag
When you design your banners, be sure to include an alternative
tag in your HTML code. The reason is that some people will still
see your slogan and link if they choose to turn off their
graphics. If you neglect to do this, these people will see
nothing at all. Here is an example:
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<a href="http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/">
<img src="BANNER.gif" alt="Chinese Food DIY" width="468"
height="60"></a> |
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Banner Creators
There are many graphic design software/tools out there. Adobe
Photoshop is probably the standard among them. Unfortunately it
is not affordable for many webmasters considering its price of
$649. Here I recommend some less expensive and free alternatives
Banner Maker Pro -
$39 (Free 15-day trial)
Quick Banner - Free or
above
3D Text Maker - Free
Instant Online Banner Creator
- Free
Animation Online - Free
or above
More Marketing Guide...
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