Online advertising tends to be one of those things that you either get right spectacularly well, or horribly wrong. Banner ads perhaps represent this situation perfectly. Online advertising and banner ads enjoy their fair share of trends and it’s important to keep up to date with what’s hot and what’s not. Having said that, there are 5 staple bits of information about banner ads that will stand the test of time.

1. Make sure that your banner ads are laser-targeted.

It’s common sense, yet a common mistake. There’s no point creating a banner ad if it’s not going to reach your target market. Therefore, picking which websites your banner ad sits on is crucial. Do some research!

2. Gaudy is not always good.

The common perception of banner ads is that they’re loud and brash because they have to be eye-catching. But people can now sense trash a mile off, so don’t be afraid of trying a more subtle approach to the design of your banner ad.

3. Analyze and experiment.

Don’t create one banner ad and stick with it through thick and thin. The trick is to use a variety of banners and to look closely at the click-through stats to see what works and what doesn’t.

4. Have a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Just because gaudy isn’t always good, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be direct with your copy. The difference is, succinct copy is a necessity. It’s a question of logic – you only have a little room to play with, so there’s no room to mess around.

5. Honesty is your best policy.

One issue with some banner ads is that people get really annoyed when they feel that they’ve been tricked into clicking on something. And if that wasn’t reason enough to be honest in terms of what you’re selling, think about the fact that if you’re misleading someone, it’s also costing you in click-through rates.