Banner advertising is one of the most powerful marketing forms available to business owners, but not everyone has the skill and knowledge required to design banners that attract customers. If you’re one of them, and if hiring a professional designer to do the work for you is out of the question, then have a look at the few things you need to take into account when designing effective, appealing and clickable banners.
Size
Size is important when it comes to successful marketing, so make sure you get it right. According to Google Adsense, there are standard banner dimensions that have proven to be effective. If you want a rectangle shape, opt for 336×280 or 300×250, 728×90 for a horizontal board and 160×600 for a vertical skyscraper.
Hierarchy
Start with your logo and make it dominant. Then add your special offer or incentive. Make it stand out with stronger colours and larger fonts – this is the first place that the reader’s attention should be drawn to. Finally, include a call to action button that will entice your readers to click on.
Images
Images are not essential, but high quality graphics are definitely known to add to the appeal of banners. Find a great stock image that complements your brand’s attitude and your logo – if that’s too difficult, then why not have a professional photographer or designer provide you with the perfect image for your banner? Just remember to keep it specific to your company.
Design
Your banner’s overall design should be simple and classy: don’t overload it with information and graphics, don’t pile on the buttons or mix too many colours, especially if they’re not complimentary. Make sure the banner’s frame is clearly determined, especially if you choose white as your background colour. Finally, don’t forget that your text should always be the first thing to jump out, so if you decide to use animation, ensure that it doesn’t distract from your banner’s main message.
Consistency
The importance of keeping your banner advertising design consistent with that of your overall brand cannot be stressed enough. For the banner to attract potential customers and not just confused visitors, it needs to be leading somewhere expected. Your banners promise something that your landing page should deliver, so keep it honest and visitors will turn into loyal customers with every click of your ad.
Hiring a professional to design unique and effective banners is certainly the best way forward, but if you’re determined to do it by yourself, then take the above steps into account and focus on creating ads that beg to be clicked on – while always remembering to deliver what you promised.
