Designing An Effective Banner Advertisement (13 Tips)

You are reading this article because you want to create a great banner ad. You might be an experienced designer, or you may just be getting started in the field. Either way, there is no doubt that banner ads are important and that they can help boost your business’s profits.

But what makes a good banner ad? How do you know if yours will stand out from the crowd and lead to more sales? What tips can help make sure your next design project is something special? We’ve got all of the answers right here!

How to Design a Banner (4 Easy Steps)
Takeaways
1. Craft a Clear and Concise Message
2. Use High-Quality Images
3. Choose Bold and Contrasting Colors
4. Incorporate a Strong Call-to-Action
5. Optimize for Different Devices
6. Maintain Brand Consistency
7. Prioritize Readability
8. Avoid Clutter and Overcrowding
9. Test Different Design Variations
10. Consider Animation Thoughtfully

1. Make It Visual

Use images. Images are the most important part of banner advertising because they help your ad stand out from the crowd. Make sure to include at least one image that is relevant to your campaign, target audience, and the page you are advertising on.

Avoid generic stock images when possible. Not only do these types of photos not fit well with most banners, but they also don’t give much insight into who you are as an organization or what makes you unique compared to other companies in your industry (which is actually a very important factor). 

To ensure that each image draws attention rather than turning potential customers away, choose carefully!

Choose relevant imagery over text whenever possible especially if it’s copy-heavy content like an article or blog post in which case there’s little chance anyone will read every single word anyway.”

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2. Use A Large, Single Photo

Avoid using multiple images. Using a single large, high-quality photo is much more effective than placing several different ones on one banner. One image will keep your message focused, allowing the viewer to connect with the subject of your ad and feel emotionally engaged.

Use text sparingly but make sure it’s clear and well placed. The text should be relevant to explain what’s being advertised without being intrusive; it should also be easy to read from a distance by those who may not have perfect vision or color blindness issues (and for those with such issues, use red type).

Use the same photo across multiple banners/campaigns/subjects. This helps establish brand recognition which leads to higher click-through rates (CTRs).

3. Keep It Simple

Remember that your goal is to get people interested, not to give them a book report on the product. You should try to avoid using too much text or distracting graphics. In this case, less is more. 

There’s no need for large blocks of text or images unless you need to show something specific about the product or service being advertised. People don’t want to read an essay when they could be watching cat videos on YouTube!

In addition, try sticking with just one or two different fonts so that your ad doesn’t look cluttered and chaotic (this tip is especially important if you’re working with limited space). 

Keep your copy simple and straightforward short sentences are best! A good rule of thumb: If it doesn’t serve a purpose (i.e., making people click on your ad), then leave it out of your design altogether!

Keep in mind that there’s no point in using fancy words like “jargons” or “buzzwords” if they don’t add anything useful/relevant information; they’ll only make things confusing for potential customers who may not understand what those terms mean anyway.”

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4. Match Your Banner To Your Campaign Landing Page

Next, you’ll want to make sure that the images of your banner match the images on your landing page. If you don’t have a specific image in mind, take a look at some other ads that are running in the same market as yours and see how they compare. Do they use stock photography? Original photography?

Another way to check is by using EyeSquare to see what kind of images people are clicking on when they reach your landing page. If it looks like there’s an obvious trend in terms of what type of photos get clicked on most often (and therefore which ones should be included in future campaigns), then go with that!

Finally, make sure everything about your campaign is consistent from copywriting down to design choices like color palettes and fonts used for both text copy and headlines.

5. Cree A Focal Point

A good way to ensure your banner is effective is to create a focal point. The main image should be the focal point, drawing attention away from everything else on the page and toward it alone. You can do this by using one big visual element in your banner, such as a large photo or illustration that includes bright colors and contrasts with the surrounding text.

You can also use the contrast between different elements of your banner to direct attention toward the focal point: for example, if you have an actionable item that must be clicked on (such as “Shop Now”), use larger text over the anchor text so people will see it first when scrolling down their social feed.

6. Draw Attention With Contrast

Contrasting colors can draw attention to your banner by creating a bold visual.

Contrasting colors: For example, you might choose bright red for your text and a light blue background. Choose contrasting colors that complement each other so that the viewer’s eye is drawn to both elements of your design at once.

Contrasting lightness: You could also use varying shades of one color for text and background to create contrast in a more subtle way than using two different colors.

7. Go For Consistency With Your Branding

Your banner should adhere to a consistent design standard with your website. This means using the same brand color palette, the same brand fonts, and even the same logo.

If you’re not sure what colors or fonts would be best for your brand, we recommend going with something neutral (e.g., black text on white background) and then testing different variations of that look to see which performs better (more on this below).

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8. Keep Things Consistent Across Devices And Resolutions

If you’re using a banner ad to promote your business on the web, it must be consistent across devices. If the design doesn’t scale, it will look pixelated and blurry.

To prevent this from happening, make sure that all elements are proportional and have their own dimensions (i.e., width: 400px). Then, use percentage values instead of pixels for sizes in each element so that they adjust automatically when viewed on different devices or resolutions. 

For example, if an image is 200 pixels wide in desktop view but 150 pixels wide in the mobile view because of smaller screen size restrictions (and therefore fewer pixels). 

Setting its width as percent(50%) would make sure it retains its original proportions while scaling down to fit properly within the screen dimensions defined by CSS rules elsewhere on your website codebase.

The same principle applies to other elements like text content or borders around images or logos make sure they stay consistent across all browsers/devices too!

9. Use An Independent Background-Color

Use an independent background color. Avoid using white, yellow, red, or green as your background color if you want to attract attention on the web. These colors are all very common and will blend into the site’s design rather than pop out at viewers. 

Instead, use a color that is different from any part of the site but not too bright or loud. This can be done by choosing a darker shade of blue or black for example.

10. Experiment With Animation, But Use It Sparingly

Animation is a great way to capture your audience’s attention when used sparingly. It also helps demonstrate the product or service in action, show current sale prices, and demonstrate different locations where the product can be used.

If you go overboard with animation, it will distract from your message and make your ad seem cheap and amateurish.

11. Try Using Humor, Or Making Users Smile Or Laugh

Humor is a great way to grab the attention of your users. It’s also a great way to create an emotional connection with them and make them remember your message. If you are funny, people will be more likely to remember your ad and share it with their friends.

When designing the ad, think about how you want it to feel. Do you want it to be lighthearted or serious? Or maybe somewhere in between? The answer should come naturally from considering who your audience is (and what they like), but if not, here are some examples:

A person who likes funny things will respond better to humor than someone who doesn’t so if you’re running an ad for something that might not seem funny at first glance (like plumbing services), adding a joke will help warm up your audience before telling them about how awesome you are at fixing pipes!

If something makes people laugh out loud on average two times per day (and even more often among millennials), then there must be some kind of universal appeal that connects all humans regardless of background or culture.”

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12. Avoid Big Blocks Of Text

You can’t expect your audience to read through a large block of text, so you need to make it easy for them to scan the content. Here are some ways to do that:

  • Use bullet points instead of paragraphs.
  • Size fonts at least 16 points in size (but not larger than 24).
  • Use bold text for emphasis and important messages.
  • Don’t overcrowd your banner with too much information use white space between elements.

13. Be Relevant To The Page Your Ad Is On

Relevance to the page is important because it’s an indicator of relevance to your target audience. If you are relevant, it means that you’re more likely to get more clicks and conversions (just like you’d expect).

There are a few ways to be relevant:

  • Use keywords in your ad that has been used by others on the page already; this shows that they’re popular and relevant topics here
  • Include images of products related to ones sold on the site or provide links directly from within an image (e.g., a picture of a piece of clothing, with links below it)
  • Be clear about the action you want users to take. What should they do? How will they benefit from clicking? Don’t assume people know. Tell them.

The ad should include a clear call to action (CTA). The CTA should be something like “Click Here” or “Learn More.” You want to make it as easy as possible for users to discover what you’re offering and take the next step.

You can also use verbs, such as “Download Now” or “Sign Up Now” if your product is software or an e-book. It’s important that potential customers know exactly what they are getting into before they click on the ad and end up at your site. 

For example, if you have an app that helps people lose weight fast with yoga poses, don’t just say “Free Yoga Poses App” above your image that doesn’t tell anyone anything about how using this app will benefit them! 

Instead make sure there is text spelling out how this app will help them achieve their goal so that when people see it on social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc., 

They understand why they would want to download it onto their phone in order for example lose weight fast through yoga poses; plus these types of ads often get more clicks than other types (like generic sponsored posts).

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Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve looked at what makes banner ads effective and ineffective, and how to design your own banner advertisement. With these tips in mind, you should be able to create an ad that’s both well-designed and effective!

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources for further reading on designing effective banner advertisements:

Wix Blog: Guide to Creating Compelling Banner Ads Learn how to create eye-catching banner ads that captivate your audience and convey your message effectively.

99designs Blog: 14 Design Tips for Click-Worthy Banner Ads Discover 14 design tips to make your banner ads more clickable and engaging, driving higher click-through rates.

AdsTargets Blog: Effective Banner Design and Advertising Strategies Explore effective strategies and design techniques for creating impactful banner ads that resonate with your target audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Best Sizes For A Banner Ad?

The size of your banner will depend on where you’re placing it, as well as the type of site that you’re advertising. There’s no one size fits all rule, but there are some general guidelines to follow:

If you plan on hosting your banner advertisement on a blog or news site, then 320 x 50 square is probably the best choice for you. These types of sites tend to have content that takes up most of the page, so if you use something larger than this, it may be hard for users to see what else is going on around them. 

However, if your goal is simply getting noticed by random visitors (and not necessarily getting clicks), then go ahead and use anything from 300 x 250 up through 728 x 90 or 970 x 200. You’ll just need more impressions in order to make sure people will actually see it!

For social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter where most people spend their time scrolling down endless consider using either 628 x 90 or 150 x 150 banners in order to maximize visibility among those who are likely less interested in reading long-form content than consuming short bursts of information at rapid speeds.

What Is A Banner Ad?

A: Banner ads are advertisements that appear on web pages. They can be static images, animated gifs, videos, flash banners, or even simple text links. The most common format for banner ads is a rectangular box that spans the width of the page and displays content such as text, images, or video.

How To Create A Banner Ad?

Creating an effective banner advertisement doesn’t have to be difficult; there are several steps you can take towards creating one:

Be clear about your goal with your advertisement are you looking to get people on your mailing list? Get them to click through to another page? Increase awareness of your brand or product in general? You’ll need to know what you want out of this ad before you start designing it so that it will lead customers towards those goals effectively.

What Are The Best Practices For Banner Ads?

  • Be concise.
  • Make it easy to understand.
  • Use benefit and action words in your copy, such as “learn more” and “download now.”

What Are The Dimensions Of A Banner Ad?

  • Width: 468 – 728 pixels (recommended) or 468 – 970 pixels (max) for mobile devices;
  • Height: 60 – 160 pixels (recommended) or 120 – 480 pixels (max) for mobile devices;

What Is The Best Color For A Banner Ad?  

How about white text on a dark blue background? Or black text on the light purple background? We’ll assume you want something that actually works, which means testing different combinations until you find one that converts well enough to justify its existence. 

You should also consider how each color will look against different background images if those appear on sites where they’re displayed — illustrations work better with certain colors than others!

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