Best Practices for Banner Ads - The Great American Small Business Challenge | The Great American Small Business Challenge

This article was written by Ted Dhanik.

Banner advertising is only as useful as the returns you take home. If your ads aren’t bringing home any money, it may be because you have not fully explored their effectiveness. Before you scrap your project, take a minute to assess whether you have followed these best practices.

Low File Size

The lower the size of your banner, the fast it will load. There are many variables to consider when measuring load speed: how fast the traffic network serves ads to the user, how fast your server is able to supply the ad in question, and how fast the user’s computer is all factor in. You should aim for a maximum file size of under 100kb if you can, but that depends on the content you use. With this in mind, avoid Javascript and Flash elements that drive up bandwidth with little payoff.

Placement

Some display advertising networks will adjust placements for you, optimizing your campaigns as you go along. Not all networks do this, so it’s important to see which websites are actually clicking your ads. Next, measure clicks against conversions and see what you uncover. If you find you are receiving many clicks without conversions, try optimizing your landing page for those placements or run an AB test.

Delivery

Do you know what your ads actually look like to viewers? Some ad networks serve traffic through extensions and downloadable programs. Talk with your ad network to see the software they use, then make note of the delivery of your ads. Things to look out for include sizing and messaging.

Ted Dhanik provider of display advertising and high performance marketing solutions. Ted Dhanik is the current CEO of engage:BDR. Ted Dhanik devotes his free time to blogging and mentorship.