Ask Mr. D On Banner Exchange

By Author: Bill Daugherty
Total Articles: 17
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Dear Mr. D,

I recently joined a banner exchange. This is
my first venture into banner advertising and
I was shocked to see my banner getting a
measly .3% click-through rate.

Is this a normal ratio or do I just have a
lousy banner?

Signed,

Clickless In Seattle

_____________________

Dear Clickless,

Back in the good old days (three or four years ago)
it was easy to get surfers to click on banners.
Today that has changed dramatically, banner
advertising has hit hard times.

But even in today's climate, a .3% click-through
rate is extremely low. I haven't seen your banner,
so I don't know if it is lousy or not. But here are
some tips to follow when creating your banner.

* The text should consist of only a few words that offer a
clear message.

* Choose your color scheme with great care. Make sure
your text color contrast well with your background color.

* Animation is great, but don't make it too busy.

* The two most important words ...
... you can put on any
banner are "Click Here."

Now for a look at banner placement strategy:

Some banner exchanges allow you to target the type of
sites where your banner will appear and some do not. If
your exchange doesn't offer this feature, switch to one
that does.

Banner advertising may never again enjoy the strength it
had in the good old days, but you can get the most out of
your banner advertising by following the guidelines above.
About the Author Bill Daugherty. Do you have an advertising or marketing
question you'd like to see published in this
column? Send it to mailto:MrD@epm.zzn.com

You can visit Mr. D's website at:
http://www.freeadsgalore.com