Web Banner Design TIPS

1. File size and duration of a banner:

The banner size depends on a number of factors like the amount of animation, physical size of the banner etc, and the animation (in case of Flash). The size of the banner should be minimum (10 KB or less). This is because banners are normally displayed at the top of web pages and should load before the main page to seize the viewer’s interest before he/she scrolls down.



Every one using the internet is in a hurry and studies have revealed that a web surfer spends less than 10 seconds gazing at the top of a web page. Thus, a banner has to display all the contents (especially the call to action) within the specified time. Else, the banner will lose its efficiency and your chance of getting clicks reduces to a great extent.



However, reducing the file size of animated gif banners leads to loss in the quality of animatronics and the number of colors used. Therefore, it becomes important to optimize the banners and the number of colors used. Paint Shop Pro can be used to decrease the number of colors (16 or 216) and vertical color change to create a simple web banner with one or two movements.



This would lead to the creation of a properly designed banner that loads quickly.



2. An eye-catching punch line/ an awesome headline:

Graphic designers try to include an attractive phrase in the web banner to arouse the viewer’s interest. This is because a good headline is the key to effective advertising. This helps them to influence customers and increase the click rate. A good technique is to use the same caption on your entry page and your banner. This will give them a chance to see the same headline that sparked their interest in the first place. You can also use different colors to make it visually appealing.



3. Include web site URLs and company logo in your banners:



You can both the website address and the logo in a small section of the banner design if you are engaging in a brand building exercise. You should use small font size and keep the information either on the left or right side of the banner so that it does not dilute the punch line or the copy. This will attract the attention more attention and give you a few extra hits.



4. Good copy:

The thumb rule for a successful banner is to keep the copy simple and short. The punch line should support the text that appears on the web page. The entire content should be creative, practical, imaginative, informative with a balance of simplicity, alignment, and proportion to bring a smile on the viewer’s face. You can allure the customers by using the same catchy phrase (natural rhythm) that appears on your website.



You also need to understand what would interest the surfer. Therefore, it is advisable to use contrast, colors, and layouts that will appeal to all religions, nationalities, and cultures.



Use safe web colors and standard font sizes so that your clients can read the message. You need to use large fonts if you are selling hearing aids to elderly people. However, you should not use more than three different font types in one banner.



5. Use appropriate content (not XXX) in banners:



The pictures exhibited in the banner should be applicable to the services/ products being offered on your website. You are bound to attract the attention of male surfers if you have the photo of a woman covered in short bikini. However, the visitors will exit without making a purchase if your website sells electronic goods. This will result in high-click and negligible sales. Therefore, it’s important to show that your banner designs are related to your product.

6. Increase your response rate with blue underlined text:



Most web surfer’s associate blue underlined text with links. You can achieve higher click through ratio by using common fonts such as Arial, New Roman, Verdana, and Times in your headline. People will definitely click on the web banner because they will realize that it is a link to another site. Consequently, the banner will merge with the web page and look like part of the content. You can actually re-gain the confidence of the surfer if you deliver what you promised in the banner.



7. Clichés have a positive impact:

Studies have showed that words like "Enter", and "Click Here", increase the effectiveness of a banner ad by 20-30%. These words emphasize a call to action and inspire the reader to click the ad if they find the headline interesting. This phrase can be either animated (change color/blink) or appear in the last frame of an animated banner.



Old fashioned words like "Free", "You get" continue to increase the response rate dramatically. This is because viewers are motivated by the incentive that they may get. It doesn’t mean that you just put the word "FREE" on your banner without any other text. You need to tell them what they will be getting for FREE and deliver what you have promised in the banner. Else, the visitor will exit the page and never return. This may also lead to negative publicity.

8. Using Flash:



Banners developed using Flash result in higher click-thru rates because their file size is a lot smaller and they are smoother than animated gifs. Flash can be used to make banners interactive.



However, Flash banners require a plug-in on the viewers' system. Not all surfers have the appropriate plug-ins and the percentage of such users is decreasing by the day. Further, customers are asked for the animated gif banners when they submit their Flash banners for ad campaigns. This makes animated gifs banners reign supreme.

9. Do not deceive the surfer:



HTML form fields are a good way to inform the viewers about what to expect after clicking on the banner. This will attract the attention of viewers who are interested in the products/ services offered.

However, it is important to ensure that the click-thru URL provides the information promised on the banner.



Never use images or HTML links that do not work. The surfer will never visit your website/click your online banner if he/she feels tricked.



10. Animate Your Banners:



Animated banners produce higher click-thru rates (30%-40% more) than static banners. However, animation results in larger file sizes. Hence, the key is to use animation while keeping the banner small. Liking your banner to live video or images will affect the load time that will in turn make the visitors lose interest.



Graphic designers have started creating trick banners that look like drop-down menus, buttons, checkboxes, and sliders to invoke curiosity in the people. The visitors inadvertently click on the banner to see the remaining text.



Photo-realistic images should not be used used while designing animated .gif banners. This is because they contain only 256 colors and the image condensing algorithm (LZW: Lempel-Zev-Welch) works effectively when the image has large areas with single color. Further, it’s not possible to compress complex images captured on the photos.



11. Change your web banners regularly:

Studies have proved that banners start losing their efficiency after a person has seen it for the third time. They will probably never click on it if they have not done so in the past. You will need to come up with a lot of different banner if you are spending a lot of money on purchasing and advertising hundreds of banner impressions. Therefore, it is important to either change or update your banner as often as possible.



12. Use several banners for a single campaign:



It is practically impossible to support your campaign with a single banner unless you have performed research about the behavior patterns and preferences of your audience.



It would be ideal to start with 6-10 banners and continue rotating the banners until you determine which banner generates high click-thru rates. It’s crucial to track the success of each banner in terms of CTRs, CPCs, and CPMs.