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The Appeal of Banner Advertising
by Riki Trafford
http://www.1dmom.com

Do you expect your same banner ad used in print and on TV to
draw the same attention online? Some say banner campaigns
online don't work as well online as they do in other media.
Maybe this due to the Internet user's navigating power.
Simply put, Internet users have the power to use search
engines to get where they want to go rather than relying on
advertisements for direction. As result, banner advertising
online has evolved beyond an informational marketing tool
into a motivator that calls the Internet user to action.

Banners are found everywhere on the Internet. Do
advertisers expect their exposure to increase recognition?
Or, do advertisers want their exposure to lead to a
click-through? Unfortunately, research shows that too much
banner advertising online is a turn-off for the Internet
user who actually starts to gloss over banner advertising.
Still, Internet marketing services assert that banner
advertising will work as long as its done right and placed
in the right spots.

Banner advertising that does work has to be in the right
place, at the right time where the Internet user is most
receptive to that banner's message. It has to get right in
front of the viewer's face and catch their attention in a
positive and not annoying way. Some ways that advertisers
are finding banner advertising useful is by employing
animation. Animation can get attention, but keeps the
viewers eyes moving and can just become an annoying
distraction. Another way to use a banner effectively is to
pose a useful question like if you do [such and such] then
you get an additional [such and such]. Banners can also
offer freebees. Everyone loves a freebie, without a catch.
For instance, offer a chance in a drawing or a free trial
offer. Banners that position themselves to do more than
inform create a desire that the viewer wants to act upon.

What does the exposure from banner advertising online
achieve? Does the banner draw in lots of traffic or
visitors willing to buy? The banner must attract the right
target audience that is receptive to performing a
click-through and then purchasing. Where the users of the
1990s didn't think twice about following a banner to a new
location, today's Internet user is more discriminatory and
suspicious of banner's so-called gimmicks such as freebies.

Many banner ads never get the opportunity to flaunt their
stuff since many Internet users automatically block their
appearance. As the risks of identify theft, ad ware and spy
ware increases, more Internet users avoid anything to do
with banner advertising. Justifiable or not, many users put
banners and invasive programs in the same category.
Therefore, many website developers seek alternative
marketing tools to announce the site location, products and
services.

According to some studies, a website has 8 seconds or less
to seize a visitor's attention before he either decides to
stick around or leave. If a banner slows down the loading
time, many website owners will opt out on certain banners
rather than risk loosing buying customers.

Some web sites rely on banner ads for an extra source of
income, especially if visitors follow the banner to its
destination. However, the web site itself also wants to
maintain its visitors and customers who don't want to be
bugged by advertising and slow downloading times. Sometimes
simpler banners are more effective than complicated flashy
banners.

What does an advertiser consider effective when it comes to
Internet advertising anyway? Is the ad effective if people
click on the banner or effective if sales increase as direct
result of the banner ad? The measure of its effectiveness
is sort of hit and miss. Much the effectiveness depends
on the banner's total campaign and goals of the advertiser.

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