Web banner ad design uses the best design hacks and applies them to web banners in order to attract more customers to your products and services.
Banner ads are everywhere on the internet nowadays. Companies use them as they are both affordable and effective: the golden duo. It is also easy to measure the impact of a banner so you can get better analytics on how your product or service might perform.
1. Size matters
Make sure you are using the most successful standard banner sizes. These have been calculated by Google Adsense:
336×280px — Large Rectangle
300×600px — Half Page
300×250px — Medium Rectangle
728×90px — Leaderboard
2. Placement
Buy space on a website that means your banner will be close to the main content of a page and above the fold, so it is hard to miss. You should also consider which website you are running ads on- is it a site that your potential customers would probably use?
3. Simple is best
Don’t have too much text or fussy photographs; you only have a few seconds in which to grab your customer, so make sure your message is clear.
4. Clear Hierarchy
You should have three key features in your banner ad. Your company logo needs to be visible; that way, the viewer links the ad’s message and your company. Next, emphasise the value of your product/service – you can even be as blatant as using the word ‘high-quality’. It is also useful if you can, to have a limited time offer, which creates a sense of urgency in the person that views the ad. Finally, you want a call to action, which offers a link for the customer to gain further information or access the offer.
5. Buttons
Buttons are nearly always a good idea as they often increase the click-through rate of your ad. Put them low down in the banner, where the customer has already had a chance to read the text and keep buttons consistent in terms of style across banners.
6. Framing
It may seem like a faff, but putting a frame around an ad helps to differentiate it from the rest of the web page. Common practice is to put a 1-pixel grey border though you can get more creative if you prefer.
7. Readable text
Heading and body copy should be different sizes and short- four lines or less. Do not use cursive fonts, extremely thin or small font weights, all uppercase copes or tiny font sizes (under 10pt) unless it is terms and conditions.
8. Animate
Animated banners grab someone’s attention much faster than a static banner as the eye sense the movement and gravitates towards it. Don’t use complex or lengthy animations; simple also works best here.
9. Stand out, but complement
Don’t make your banner look at odds on the webpage but don’t make it blend in too much. It is a difficult line to tread, which is why online research is beneficial.
10. Consistency is key
As with everything, consistency is king! Make sure that when customers use the button and click through to the company’s website that the colour scheme and branding matches.
11. Urgency
Contrasting and bold colours bring attention to the ad. Advertise a limited time offer that customers will want to take advantage of.
12. Imagery
Use decent, high-quality photos or even original graphics or illustrations. If you don’t have the budget, then excellent copy combined with beautiful typography can be as effective.
13. Colour scheme
Different colours evoke different emotions, which is essential when considering the effect, you want your banner ad to have. However, this does depend on the culture, so make sure you research your target audience. Some examples of feeling evoked by colours include:
Yellow: sunshine, cheer, friendliness
Red: anger, passion, love
Orange: playfulness
Green: nature, health, freshness
Blue: calm, serenity, safety, reliability, coldness
Purple: luxury, wisdom, magic
Pink: love, sweetness
Black: mystery, modernity, power
White: purity, sterility, modernity
Brown: toughness, nature, seriousness
Gray: neutrality, practicality
14. Small is best
Keep your file sizes small so your ad will load quickly, and the viewer won’t scroll down and miss it!
15. Use the correct file formats
The standard file formats are JPG, PNG, GIF or HTML5. Flash ads are essentially out of date by now so use the above formats.
