By
Dave Cintron, Art Director
This year we have seen a
resurgence of demand for our services to design animated banner ads for our
clients to place on other sites that already reach their targeted audience.
"I think what we're seeing
are companies that experimented pre-1999 trying it again," said Mia Amato,
online marketing consultant to romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises. "The
difference is that smarter companies are using banners in targeted audience
environments."
Some of the important
elements of a successful banner ad campaign are:
Effective Animation.
The trend is to capture the viewer's interest through the drama, storytelling,
tension, excitement and humor that can be delivered more creatively through
short animated sequences. The popularity of Flash animation allows designers
to include rather complex graphics, such as photos, and smooth animation
sequences, while maintaining the required small file sizes. Flash animation is
sometimes called rich media. However, traditional gif animation
remains popular because it is frequently less expensive to design and more
universally accepted on target sites.
A study by ZD Net found that
animated ads generated click-through rates at least 15 percent higher than
static ads, and in some cases as much as 40 percent higher.
Clear Call to Action.
The viewer should have no doubt about the nature of the product or service
being advertised, and be motivated to click through for more details about the
offer. "Shorter words in bigger type are always better," said Amato. "Strong
images should resonate emotionally with the audience and relate to what's being
sold."
Extension of the Brand.
The banner ad can be considered as a companion piece to the advertiser's
site. Effective use of the existing logo, color palette and style of images
serves to introduce viewers to the advertiser's identity, which is more
recognizable for future ads or website visits.
Hitting the Target.
There are thousands of sites that accept advertising and each one can target a
specific industry segment or different demographic mix. It is important that
you pick the right sites or networks of sites that attract viewers you are
trying to reach. USA Today reported that 52 percent of survey respondents said
that they would be more likely to respond to a banner ad if it were more
relevant to their particular interests. "The most beautiful ad on the wrong
site is like paying to display a billboard in your basement," said Amato. "How
many potential customers will see it?"
Dynamics Online can design
and produce banner ads to meet a target site's specific requirements quickly
and effectively, often under demanding timelines and within a reasonable
budget. See a portfolio of sample banner ads that we have designed in both
Flash and animated gif formats, including our recent banner designs for
Harlequin, here:
http://www.dynamicsonline.com/flashbanner.shtml
For assistance with your
banner advertising campaigns, contact
Dynamics Online
today.
Mia Amato can be reached at
miaamato@nyc.rr.com.
