Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Are Horizontal or Vertical Banners Better for Your Website?

Straight from the point, this seems like a silly question. You might have set up a fantastic horizontal banner that just grabs the attention of your advisory committee and you know that you have it pegged down. You have the banner down and you know it will be a firecracker of advertising. Have you really thought about it? If you spend some time looking through various companies' banner placement, you find that much of it is horizontal. It seems to make sense. After all, the American eye reads from left to right on a horizontal plane! What better way to place a banner. Banner advertising is not that simple, though.

Over the years, and I can't tell you how many years because it just doesn't matter, the general viewer's attention ignores horizontal placement of ads often. Of course, it works sometimes, particularly if the client truly wants the services you offer and they are actively seeking them. I run through literally hundreds of advertorial placements, and banner advertising is something I just go ahead and block. I block it because it is usually too heavy with content and contains some asinine link that I would rather avoid the computer virus or tracking cookies that will result.

This is no joke. I would rather block all horizontal advertising content because I am ill from seeing the disgusting lack of creativity and the bogus promises. Let's face it; horizontal ad placement is not the best web banner design. This does not mean that it lacks a home in banner advertising, just that the content of horizontal web banner design is so much like the fruitcake you get on Christmas. It is flat, chewy, and simply not good.

Horizontal banner placement can be effectively used as long as it is kept simple, particularly if it is an adjunct to direct vertical ad placement. Horizontal banners are commonly 468x80 and it has been this way for many years. This is why it is so common and easy to find.

Vertical skyscrapers or vertically boxed ads draw more attention for a longer period of observation than standard horizontal ad boxes. Vertical skyscrapers and boxed ads beat standard ad sizes by creating optimal ad sizes by utilizing the best banner ad sizes and shapes.

The AdSense team at Google has determined which ad box forms and sizes have yielded the highest click rates. They published a list of these dimensions. Take note, as these are the most effective forms in which to place your business promotions:

•336x280 large rectangles: This is great for creating eye-catching vertical images and links at the base.
•300x250 inline rectangle: Here you can insert sharp, less curved images and plenty of link content.
•160x600 wide skyscraper: You can embed video or animation here.

You can provide listed links with secondary links here. That spreads a good promotion for the products and services of your company.
These optimal ad sizes will definitely override the banality of standard ad sizes and present a fresh view to all potential clients and give existing clients a confidence that you are staying up with the trends that carry positive business revenue.

Kean Graham is one of the banner ad monetization experts at Monetize More. He specializes in boosting the banner ad revenues of high traffic websites. Kean specifically specializes in online classified monetization.

To learn more about monetizing banner ad inventories or specifically online classifieds, please visit: http://www.monetizemore.com/


http://EzineArticles.com/6474653

Monday, August 29, 2011

Banners: Still Effective to Market Your Business Online and Off

Banner advertising is a great way to start attracting interest in your products or services. It's a more expensive method than blog commenting or using online professional networking sites, but the results typically come much faster because banner ads really are just advertising.

Banner ads are graphical images that act as advertisements to entice site visitors to "click through" to get more information. These horizontal rectangles are displayed at the top or the bottom of a website, and work well for generating traffic and branding.

Launch your banner ad strategy by conducting a search on Google for all of the places where you can buy banner advertising. Use a combination of short ("affiliate marketing") and long-tail keywords ("affiliate marketing opportunities in Atlanta") to come up with all of the sites related to your business that accept banner advertising.

Click on the sites that come up within the first one or two pages of search results. If the sites have banners showing at the top or the bottom of the page, add them to your list of potential targets. Once your list is done, visit all of the sites and contact them to obtain their banner advertising rates.

Advertising Networks

Don't limit yourself to huge websites. While most large websites and search engines sell banner advertising, many smaller, more targeted websites also sell such space online in exchange for a fee. You can also purchase banner ads via one or more advertising networks that sell this type of advertising across multiple sites.

Here are seven advertising networks that you can use to spread your ads across numerous websites at once:

Google Adwords: Display ads on websites within the Google Content Network based on keywords and demographics.

Yahoo! Advertising: Allows you to place your banner ads on websites across Yahoo!'s network.

Adify: Select from one of many different advertising networks from Adify to find specific niche markets where you can place banner ads.

Commission Junction: A large network of ad publishing websites where you can connect with to display banner ads on websites, e-mails and RSS feeds.

ValueClick Media: Another platform that caters to advertisers of all sizes and across all industries.

AdOn Network: Provides target banner ads based on a user's browsing history.

Ad Brite: Lets you purchase banner advertisement spots for a flat monthly fee or on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis.

When buying banner ads, you should know the difference between Cost-Per-Click ("CPC") or Cost Per Thousand Impressions ("CPM"), both of which are used when selling such advertising. Here's a definition for each:

CPC: You pay for each person who clicks on your banner ad.

CPM: You pay for every one thousand displays of your online ad. For example, if you were to pay $4 CPM, and if 1 percent of people seeing the ad were to click through to your website, then you would get 10 visitors for $4, or pay the equivalent of $0.40 per visitor.

With banner advertising, you'll probably get the best response from websites targeted to your particular subject area. You can also tailor your campaign to a local audience by targeting those sites that cater to people in your geographic region. An area chamber of commerce site or a local newspaper's online presence, for example, could be good banner ad candidates for an affiliate marketing firm in search of local associates. There are two different types of banner ad campaigns.

They are:

Branding campaigns that are used to get a company's name out to the public. They usually coincide with promotional advertisements in other venues, such as print, radio or television. These campaigns are focused less on the immediate or short-term results, and more on increasing the firm's brand awareness over time.

Click-through online ad campaigns are used to connect with a specific audience in a direct manner. These campaigns include a call to action that gets people to click through to your website and helps you target your audience more accurately.

As a new business owner, you'll be using click-through banner ads to attract others to your products or services.

Banner Creation 101

Next you will create your online ad, or use ones that you already have, to advertise your site on other companies' websites. The ads are 460X68 pixels in size and tend to be heavy on graphics, versus text. The idea is to attract a site visitor's attention and make him or her click on your ad to learn more, win a prize, get a free report on an important topic, and so forth.

Here are a few important guidelines to keep in mind when creating your online ads:

Use a targeted strategy: Don't waste money throwing banner ads all of the web in hopes that something will stick. Make sure they are on websites that fit your market, and link your online image ads to keywords in searches rather than just taking a "random" approach.

Get attention in a professional manner: Gaudy can work online, but a better strategy is come up with an attention-getting banner that doesn't look like a hard sell, or too garish. Check out some of the online ads on sites like Mashable.com and TechCrunch.com for examples.

Hire someone if you need help. Like any marketing strategy, creating online ads takes some finesse. Avoid some of the early learning curves by hiring a firm to develop and place your ads for you, if you have the budget for it. Or, use available banners that a company that you are associated with provides.

Test out different methods: Use a variety of banners and track their click-through rates to figure out which are working, and which need to be replaced. Concentrate only on those ads that work best, and tweak your banner ad strategy regularly to ensure you are getting the best possible results.

Always include a call to action: Don't assume your potential clients will know to "click here" for more information. Tell them what to do using works that invoke an immediate action.

Don't try to be understated: Banner ads have been around for a long time, and we all know that their aim is to sell products, services, memberships, subscriptions and other items. Make sure your viewers know exactly what the ad is for, and what they can expect if they click through.

Be forthright: Telling viewers that clicking your digital ad will put them in the running for a $100 gift card, and then not delivering on that promise, is just bad business. Be realistic and honest with your ad and you'll stand a much better chance of success in the banner ad arena.

Switch out your banners: Don't let them get stale. People online are used to fresh, relevant marketing messages, so be sure to update your digital ads regularly.

These are just a few tricks that you can use to ensure a successful banner ad campaign. Experiment with your options, test out different ads and closely track all of the responses that you get from your efforts. Integrate your banner ads into your overall marketing strategy and it won't be long before you are signing up new customers for your home business.

MatchedRate.com is a Match Rate PLUS Agent who has been marketing products and services online since 1999 to build a monthly residual income.  To find out more about the Match Rate PLUS patent-pending residual income business model, go to: http://www.matchedrate.com/.


http://EzineArticles.com/6489015

Friday, August 26, 2011

Evolution And Development Of Printing Technology

The commercial printing industry has already evolved so much since Johannes Gutenberg ran the first printing press in the early 1400s. Gutenberg is the one who invented the first ever commercial printer.

Thanks to the ingenuity of this guy, who attempted to mechanize printing, now we have the offset machine. During the 1900s, the steam-powered rotary press figured in the printing companies. This new machine ushered the way for the quicker turnaround of different printing jobs. More materials were being printed as people had now had more flexibility with the design using this press. Of course, you get to see the finished product much sooner. During this time, people saw the advent of printed receipts and even letterheads in the business world.

Anyway, people are just into printing that they never stopped developing Guttenberg's machine. Since people want convenience and fast buck, the newer machine should be better and faster than its earliest counterpart should. Many innovations have been done especially now that printers are already hooked up to the computer. Additionally, printed images have greatly improved because not only the machines can print sharper images but also because layouts are already done via high-resolution digital cameras already capture the computer and photographs. Everything is just so high tech.

We can also now see interesting and vibrant designs, thanks to the development of graphics design software that make printed materials so realistic. This software is easy to understand and use so even non-professionals can handle them. As long as you can read, you can do layouts, especially if you are already inherently creative. Today, the imagination is the only limit to design.

Nowadays, the competition among commercial printers is so stiff so they do not only do printing but they also offer value for money services to their clients. For example, a client may no longer hire the services of an advertising agency. They can just go to their local printer and ask for insights on how to do their brochure. They will submit their text and the photos and it is up to the staff at the press to come up with a design or concept of the brochure. This is usually done without additional cost. If you have a good graphics artist who can turn out designs and concepts fast, then for sure, you will have many clients. The printing press now functions like an ad agency in terms of providing creative to clients. Graphics artists in printing presses can now help in the conceptualization and production of different advertising materials like flyers, posters, catalogs, and mailers, aside from brochures.

Most of the printed materials nowadays are already in color and come in different finishes. Yes, not only are the developments in printing but also in finishing. Letterheads and business cards can already be embossed. Pocket folders and labels could now have gold stamps. Brochures are not only folded but also laminated. Some clients even prefer die cutting their brochures. The sky is the limit of the design. On the other hand, sometimes, it is limited according to the budget of the client. The commercial printing has truly gone a long, long way. Who knows what developments are going to happen in the next three to five years in the printing industry? So if you are a commercial printer today, make sure that you keep up with the developments so that your business will remain viable in the future.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of the developments in commercial printing technologies by commercial printers that help businesses in their marketing and advertising campaigns.


http://EzineArticles.com/6513190

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Pitting Banners Advertisements Against Text Links

Just about everyone with an Internet marketing background should know that websites can make them money through advertisements. But it is still debatable as to whether or not banner ads are more effective than text links or vice-versa. Different entrepreneurs have their own perspectives regarding that.

But a very common answer that you will get is that you won't find out until you try both. Some websites may benefit from text links while other sites are better off with banner ads. As you experiment, make sure that you track the progress of these ads and see if the conversion rates pile up.

Ad placement is a significant factor so monitor the results for different placements as well. You might notice some higher activity if the ads are found under posts that you make. Ads placed on the sidebar may work favorably too.

Whether you are leaning towards text links or banner ads, coloring is highly important. If you can customize your ads, take full advantage by making these ads match your site's color scheme as close as possible. This makes them less annoying as most people simply despise randomly placed ads that look out of place.

Using banner ads obviously gives you more flexibility since you can make all sorts of designs or even come up with an animation. However, many visitors that don't think highly of advertisements will just simply ignore them without considering your design. Other visitors may ignore these ads because they get in the way of the content.

It isn't very likely to get clicks through these banner ads unless they showcase a great deal of creativity. Banner ads that lead to shopping websites may have better results.

But if you try out the text links, you may notice greater amounts of clicking activity because visitors tend to trust them more. They do not violate the content as much and they load much faster. Plus, these links are more likely to show even if the visitors have any ad-blocking scripts running within their web browsers.

When setting up your advertisement, check the various settings so you can see what customizations you can apply. For instance, you can filter certain advertisements in Google AdSense by blocking certain categories.

Blocking ads is useful if you want to avoid irrelevant content to show up on your site. This is important especially if your site targets a family friendly audience because these people can leave your site in a flash if they are not happy with the ads that they are seeing. As long as your ads are relevant to the content, your click through rates should be good.

Ready to start working from home? Download a copy of the FREE report "Thinking of Starting a New Career - Working from Home?" today. It is a concise report I created to help you get started the right way so that you maximize your chances of business success and profitability. It will save you the hassle of having to stumble through trying to make money from home. Instead, it will set you on the right path from the start to ensure your business success.


http://EzineArticles.com/6472615

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Advertising Appeals: How To Use Emotional And Rational Appeals

You can improve your advertising by emphasizing emotional advertising appeals and supporting them with rational ones.

Although people buy more for emotional reasons than for rational ones, the best advertising provides both.

Emotional advertising appeals tap into basic human needs like the need for safety, for social interaction, for love, and beauty. But for all except low-priced products, rational advertising appeals have to justify the purchase decision.

For instance, a small toy car requires only an emotional decision. The child wants the car, and the parent wants the child to be happy. So a $5 car doesn't get much rational thought.

But when parents buy a family car, most will gather information before making a purchase. They'll askfor friends' recommendations, read consumer reports and sales literature, and read reviews online. Rationality needs to support emotional decisions. It's just too expensive and long term a decision to rely totally on emotion.

Once when I was in the market for a car, I emotionally wanted a Nissan Maxima. When I went car shopping, the salesman asked, "Don't you just love it?" I was offended and told him that I wasn't going to buy just because I liked the car. And I did not buy then.

I did my research and shopped around until I convinced myself rationally that the Nissan Maxima was the best car for my needs, and I knew what price I should pay for it. Then I bought from another salesman.

Although I emotionally wanted a Nissan Maxima, I had to prove to myself that it would meet my needs, provide me with good service, provide good value, and retain its value well. To have purchased on emotion without this rational justification would have seemed irresponsible to me.

If you sell a product that is not vital or that your customers consider expensive, you have to advertise the emotion, but provide reason to justify their emotional decisions.

You can do this though detailed sales literature or by sending your customer to a Web site with this detail. You can also provide testimonials or references to help your customers justify their emotional need to purchase your product.

But don't fill your advertising with rational reasons to buy. That will leave your customers cold. Instead advertise to your customers' emotional needs and support their desire with reason.

Emotional advertising appeals more effectively create a desire for your product. But you need to provide access for information to provide needed rational advertising appeals.

Linda P. Morton, Ed.D, APR is Professor Emeritus, The University of Oklahoma. She writes on marketing and other topics of interest to Small Business Owners on her blog at market segmentation.


http://goarticles.com/article/Advertising-Appeals-How-To-Use-Emotional-And-Rational-Appeals/1113181/