Web Banner

What is a web banner?

Web banner is a graphical bar designed to attract the traffic by enticing viewers to click the banner that is linked to the advertiser’s webpage on the World Wide Web. It normally contains captivating graphics and text. The shapes of the images are usually in high-aspect ratio (tall and narrow, wide and short). Web banners are placed on web pages that contain interesting content like an opinion piece or a newspaper article.

Why are web banners ineffective sometimes?

A web banner is displayed when a web page referencing the banner is loaded into a web browser. Advertisers cannot gain revenue without attracting potential customers. This annoys web surfers as they are either diverted from the contents of the original web page or lose bandwidth during the process.

Web surfers have started using proxy servers like Privoxy and other services offered by web browsers to either block images or disable pop-ups that appear on a selected website. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox also have extensions like AdThwar, ie7pro, Adblock Plus to prevent banners appearing on the computer screen.

What are the different types of web banners?

The three common types of banners are:

Static
Animated
Interactive

Static web banner:

Is a one-screen image that contains text, and graphics in .gif, .jpg or .png format.  They are widely accepted as they can be purchased at economical prices, they are not intrusive, and their file size is small as they do not contain any plug-ins. Using static web banners does not affect the browsing experience, however it is hard to fit in a lot of details and they can be easily overlooked.

Animated web banner:

These banners contain a small amount of animation to deliver the message. Multiple frames are saved in .gif format and are connected to display the output on a rotational basis. This creates a sense of animation or movement. They are generally accepted for their low file size but the ongoing rotation can annoy the web surfer if it is not on a set cycle.

Flash banner:

Is a sophisticated banner includes smooth animation and sound making it highly interactive. It is possible to fit a story in the ad and deliver it in a professional manner. This catches the customer’s eye resulting in higher clicks. Flash banners are usually .swf files that include play-pause buttons, close buttons, in-banner navigation systems, rollover buttons, checkboxes, and sound on/off buttons.  Also interactive banners can change their size based on end user action. However, it is not widely accepted because not all publishers are willing to use this form of intrusive advertising that is expensive to design. Further, it requires a Flash Player that decrease the rate at which the ad loads.

What is the optimum Dimension for a web banner?

Web banners and web images are measured in pixels (a collection of tiny dots).  Eg: If a publisher is selling a 468×60 placement – the measurements of the banner would be 468 pixels wide x 60 pixels high. Information about online banner specifications can be found on the IAB Canada website. Generally publishers will restrict the file size limit to adhere to these guidelines while getting it creatively designed. Banners come in different shapes and sizes, however 728×90 pixel, 468×60 pixel, 300×250 pixel, 250×250 pixel, 234×60 pixel, 160×600 pixel, 125×125 pixel, 120×600 pixel, 120×90 pixel banners are very popular.

What makes a web banner effective?

Size is a major factor that affects the performance and visibility of an advertisement. It is believed that bigger banners will have a greater impact on the users than the traditional 468×60-pixel web banners. This improves the CTR performance.

A recent study has proved that a web banners layout influences awareness. A bad banner can lower the purchase intent of the customer by 4.1%. Therefore, it is important to select a professional graphic designer to get the desired impact.

Some websites are linked to more than one banner per page while others use a small program to animate the banners (eg: rotate) when the visitor remains on the page.

Why is web banner placement important?

Positioning the web banner on the web page also shapes its performance to a great extent. Let’s review the outcome of a study conducted by Yahoo a few years ago. Publishers were asked to rate the right place for a successful ad placement.

Answer Response (%)

Embedded in content              44.66 %
Leaderboard                            27.32%
Right rail                                   9.28%
Left rail                                      7.88%
Rotating positions                     4.73%
Below the fold                          1.93%
__________________________________
Total                                      100.00%

Why is it important to have an enchanting banner format?

This is because advertisers have only seconds to capture the visitor’s attention and re-direct them to their client’s website. This means that the web banner needs to deliver the message in an appealing manner.  Customers do not have the time to wait patiently until your video loads.

Research has shown that video, expansions, and flash are used in rich media ads. This makes even small pixel ads (234×60) perform better than standard web banners. Web banners can be simple and yet effective.

What will be the cost of using a web banner to advertise online?

The cost of advertising online will depend on a number of factors like the size of your banner and the website on which you will be advertising. It can vary from $10 – millions.

Banner space is generally sold on CPM (cost per thousand) basis.  If the banner designing website charges you $55CPM, it means that you would pay $55 for every thousand impressions your banner receives. For 4,000 impressions, you would pay $220 (4 x $55). Some sites may sell their services at a low CPM while others who target as specific set of traffic will quote a higher CPM.

You should choose a publisher based on how many impressions you can purchase for your budget. You can also ask your publisher to put together the best value package. He/she might come up with the ideal web banner design and location that you probably did not even dream about.

You can also pay your publisher on the basis of the categories mentioned below. You need to remember that though these concepts are gradually getting established in the Canadian market, not all publishers may be aware of them.

Cost-per-action (CPA):

Cost-per-action is what an advertiser pays the publisher when a visitor responds to the ad in a specific manner. Eg: When a visit subscribes to a newsletter after clicking on the ad and visiting the advertisers site.

Cost-per-lead (CPL):

Cost-per-lead is what an advertiser pays the publisher when a visitor provides information that generates sales lead. CPL can be identified regardless of how you compensate for the ad. Eg: A visitor clicks on a rich media ad and provides personal details/ demographic information after he/she reaches the advertisers website.

Cost-per-click (CPC):

Other options like Cost-per-click mean that an advertiser pays the publisher when someone clicks on the banner.

Cost-per-sale (CPS):

Cost-per-sale is calculated by the transaction created as an outcome of the advertising sales lead. Sites that sell products directly from their website use the CPS method.

How does CPC (cost per click) work?

The consumer’s behavior is monitored in real-time by using a click tag. When a viewer clicks on the banner, he/she is routed to the website advertised in the banner. This process is known as a “click through”.
Banners are distributed by a central ad server in many cases. The advertisers send the content providers a certain amount of money (around five to ten US cents) after they confirm the information in their log files. It shows them how many users have visited their site after clicking on the web banner.

This procedure helps the content providers to pay for the internet access and content supplied. These days’ advertisers have started using ad networks while providing advertisements resulting in higher quality ad placement and a revshare system.

Thank you for educating me about different aspects of a web banner (history, different types, optimum size, placement, format and cost).  Do you know any good banner designing companies in North America?

BannersMall.com is the best banner designing company  operating from Canada. I have included a brief description of my analysis below for your reference:

BannersMall:

Professional quality, swift delivery, combined with unparalleled customer service and affordable pricing makes BannersMall one of the most trusted companies in banner design. They would definitely help you to maximize business exposure and draw the right customers. If you want to obtain more information please visit http://bannersmall.com