I recently joined a banner exchange. This is my first venture into banner advertising and I was shocked to see my banner getting a measly .3% click-through rate.
Is this a normal ratio or do I just have a lousy banner?
Signed,
Clickless In Seattle
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Dear Clickless,
Back in the good old days (three or four years ago) it was easy to get surfers to click on banners. Today that has changed dramatically, banner advertising has hit hard times.
But even in today's climate, a .3% click-through rate is extremely low. I haven't seen your banner, so I don't know if it is lousy or not. But here are some tips to follow when creating your banner.
* The text should consist of only a few words that offer a clear message.
* Choose your color scheme with great care. Make sure your text color contrast well with your background color.
* Animation is great, but don't make it too busy.
* The two most important words you can put on any banner are "Click Here."
Now for a look at banner placement strategy:
Some banner exchanges allow you to target the type of sites where your banner will appear and some do not. If your exchange doesn't offer this feature, switch to one that does.
Banner advertising may never again enjoy the strength it had in the good old days, but you can get the most out of your banner advertising by following the guidelines above.
Bill Daugherty. Do you have an advertising or marketing question you'd like to see published in this column? Send it to mailto:MrD@epm.zzn.com You can visit Mr. D's website at: http://www.freeadsgalore.com
