Banner ads leave lasting impressions on consumers
Published June 28, 2010
Understanding the value of banner ads to an internet marketing strategy is no small feat. According to ClickZ, the click-through rates of banner ads have been gradually declining since 1997. Yet, reports indicate that marketers will increase their spending on banner ads in 2010, perhaps with good reason.
BtoB magazine reports that marketers are poised to spend $5.5 billion on banner ads this year alone, making them one of the top-funded forms of advertisement in 2010. The seeming contradiction between waning click-through rates and rising use of ad banners may be a product of the fact that businesses are increasingly finding that clicks may not be the only measure of the success of a banner ad. Instead, marketers are also now considering the number of jumps in brand searches on platforms where they display the banner ad.
According to eMarketer senior analyst David Hallerman, 18 percent of consumers searched for a brand's products or services after being exposed to a banner ad. There are several aspects that play into the success of display units, ranging from audience to the product itself.
"The positive, yet not always easy-to-measure effects and the increasingly lower cost and availability of banners give campaigns a steady foundation," Hallerman told MediaPost. "Banners help to fill in the campaign."
Online banner ads are growing especially popular among local businesses. This is partially because new advances in technology allow businesses to better determine ROI, reports MediaWeek.