How To Create Banners Ads Online

By Wyatt Galt, 22 Jan 22:36

How-To Create Banners that Return Multiple Times Your Investment

The debate over the efficacy of web banners will be never-ending and fruitless if you ask me. Some people swear to their value in online advertising, while other say they aren’t even worth the time it takes to create them.

But love them or hate them—web banners are a major part of the life and breath of the internet today. Why? Because they work. So why not take advantage of the endless advertising opportunities available right at your fingertips.

Attractive, attention-getting banners are key to creating a successful online marketing campaign—and they couldn’t be easier to create.

So just what should you expect from your web banner? According to Adobe Online Services:

"The majority of web banners created seek to lure viewers away from their current page and onto the advertiser’s site."

In that sense, a banner is like a resume, the sole purpose of which is to get interviews. But you can’t stop there. A good banner is one that not only makes people want to click, but makes people want to buy. And, creating the right kind of banner will attract the right kind of people.

The Right Kinds of Banners

An ad banner can be a graphic, a snippet of HTML, or a file created with an interactive tool such as Java, Shockwave, or Flash. Whatever tool you use, you must keep your intended audience in mind when creating your banner. Many web surfers tend to look at content that is very familiar to them, while others are more apt to explore uncharted areas in their hurry to find specific information.

Both of these types of web surfers spell opportunity for the web banner. To be successful on a number of different levels, the banner needs to succeed on several different levels. Research has proven that banners that look like "fake" windows or pull-down menus appeal to audiences both young and old.

"Real HTML" banners have also been proven to increase clicks.

Strong visual impact is a key weapon in any ad’s attention-grabbing arsenal.

A banner ad’s job is to effectively communicate a company’s logo, colors, or image. Because banner ads are smaller and can’t carry the same detail as print ads, when designing you have to be choosy about which elements to include and which ones to go without.

Creating Your Ad with Photoshop

While there is a plethora of graphic programs out there, Photoshop is probably the most widely used and therefore the most popular. So, without further ado, let’s put together an ad banner using the steps below.

1. First off, open the Photoshop program and choose File/New from the top menu bar.

2. In the dialogue box that appears, set your Width at 468 pixels and your Height at 60 pixels. This is the standard size of banner ads.

3. Near the bottom of the toolbar, there are two colored square. Double-click on the left one to go into the Color Picker. You can select a color by either clicking around in the two color panes or by typing values into the box for customized variations.

4. Once your color is picked out, select the Paint Bucket tool from the toolbar. Next, click anywhere on your canvas. This should fill the canvas with your chosen color.

5. If you have an existing logo that you want to include in your ad banner, simply open that file and adjust it to the desired size. Once you have your logo to the size you want it to be in your banner, use the rectangular marquee tool to select the whole thing; now copy it. Next, switch back to the window that contains your banner and paste in your logo. You can easily position it where you want it.

6. Now it’s time to add in some text. First choose the text tool, click it on your canvas, and type in the text of your choice. Once you’ve placed a line of text, you can position it anywhere you like.

Unfortunately, you cannot create animation in your banners using Photoshop. A separate animation program must be used for that. Fortunately, there are several shareware programs available that can handle the job just fine. Visit the following links for animation shareware and other multimedia programs.



Points to Remember When Designing Your Ad

Color

To create focus and anchor the overall design of your ad, choose strong, clean colors that work well with the elements of your design. Be specific and choose colors that work well together—and stick with those colors. Good color is easy to remember; it makes people more receptive to the ad and subsequent ads.

People

We can’t help, as human beings, we respond to other human beings. It’s been that way since the beginning of time. All ads—print or web—look better with people in them. Whenever possible, include headshots into your banner design. But be sure to keep your target audience in mind; choose faces that will resonate with that audience.

Text Handling

Once you get the color and images part done, you still have to figure out how to handle the text part of your banner. Some messages just need text to communicate the message well. When working with text, keep these four areas in mind: content, voice, presentation, and general design.

First off, make sure your copy is good. This is most important. If your copy is mediocre, it’s going to stay mediocre no matter how you present it. When writing text for your banners, think headlines instead of long, wordy sentences; remember, space and time is limited. Next, choose a font that is quick and easy to read at a small size and resolution. Since your text will be limited, considering using shadowing, embossing or other affects to make your text stand out even more.

Animation

There’s no way around it: Animation is necessary to successful web ads. Almost every banner on the web blinks or dances as it lends the reader its message. Even though animation is important, you have to keep things as simple as possible. Small, subtle movement can get your point across while still keeping with shorter download times. When animating text, make sure you don’t damage your text in the process. If the text if flying across the banner too fast, viewers aren’t going to have time to read it. Another point to remember is this: Get it out as fast as you can, but not too fast. If your message takes 3 or 4 screens to reveal itself, it’s not only going to be difficult to read, but viewers are going to get bored—and fast.

Placement

When you’re designing your ad, try to visualize it already on the web page. You want to design your banner to stand out, but not to clash with the other elements on the page. To accomplish this, think contrast. For example, if a web page is text heavy and drab, think bold colors and attractive images. Make yourself stand out from the other components on the page. On the other hand, if a web page is already heavy with images and graphics, consider relying more heavily on the text in your banner.

As website owners become more comfortable including advertising on their sites—the opportunities for ad banners soar. In the dynamic marketing of internet advertising, ad banners have been proven to work time and time again. Using the design and placement tips in this article will help you and your business make a known presence on the web; as with any effective marketing plan, using the right tools to be seen and heard is what works.

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Tags: banners ads internet advertising