You should treat your banner advert like your shop window. A shop window should be alluring, but not give the whole game away; it should insight curiosity in your customers to make them want to come in and take a look around for more. That said, the shop window shouldn’t be so mysterious that customers have no idea what you sell and are too intimidated to come in and explore.
Your banner advert is the same; you need to create a banner that is alluring and makes the consumer want to find out more; here’s how to do just that:
DO use a clear and concise message
- Make your point simple; this is what I’m selling and this is why you should buy it from me.
DO state your location if you’re a local business
- Local business is what it’s all about right now, use your banner advert to your full advantage and let people know you’re just around the corner
DO use bold and vibrant colours
- Make your banner stand out from the crowd, attract the customer’s eye
DO make your branding obvious
- Use a logo, state your company name, use your brand colours – they’ll help people remember you
DO use a strong call to action
- Tell people what you want them to do next, ‘apply for a free quote’, ‘click here’, ‘call today’
DON’T use strobing, flashing images
- Anything that puts the customer off is bad!
DON’T stretch the truth
- If you’re not the cheapest, don’t say you are. If you don’t have a special offer, don’t say you do. It may get people to click, but they’ll remember that you lied and won’t come back.
DON’T link to a poor quality site
- If you have a great banner and a bad website, people will bounce pretty quickly. No-one wants to spend hours figuring out how to navigate the site when they could go elsewhere.
DON’T be too risqué
- Your risky sense of humour may appeal to some of your target audience, but it may offend other people – be careful not to alienate your audience.
DON’T change your advert too regularly
– You may think it’s a good idea to keep your advert fresh, and it is, but don’t change it too often. People need time to get the message. Depending on your business, I’d say once a month is plenty.
So those are my banner advert hints and tips! Follow these and you’ll be more likely to see the response you’re looking for!
