Banner ads are almost as old as the Internet itself. And they’re still alive and kicking. The trouble is, there are a number of issues with banner ads. If you get them wrong, at best you’re wasting your time; at worst, you’re butchering your brand.

Many online advertising experts dislike banner ads. Lots of customers even hate them. But here’s the thing: they can work extremely well. Online display advertising is an integral part of any multichannel campaign. Thanks to data and advanced analyzing techniques, businesses can verify that millions of ad impressions help drive traffic, conjure up leads and even convert.

It’s almost like it’s fashionable to slam banner ads. Opinion pieces about the sheer ineffectiveness of banner ads are commonplace, but consumer behavior often tells a different story. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Banner ads are like any other form of advertising. They can be compelling, efficient and profitable, or intrusive, ugly and repetitive, all depending on how you design them.

Here are 5 things to think about with your banner ads:

1. Creativity

Banner ads need to be inventive or they risk coming across as spammy and repellent. Show your brand, explain your service but do so in a non spammy, invasive and confusing way. Be honest, be straight forward and be creative, don't be annoying.

2. ROI

Billions are spent on banner ads because of their scale and efficiency. Compared to other media, banner ads can give you a high volume of impressions for a relatively low cost. Keep on top of your ROI to make sure yours are working.

3. Usability

It’s clearly vital that your banner ads are fit for a purpose. There's a lot of flexibility when designing a banner ad. You can stay static or go dynamic with the ability to personalize the banner ad in real-time depending on user details or historical Internet surfing patterns.

4. Trust

Most people don’t tend to trust banner ads. That’s a natural tendency that’s not going to change anytime soon. But you can do something about that by working on the appearance of your banner ad. Concentrate on the fonts, colors, words and images so that you banner ad comes across as classy and as trustworthy as possible.

5. Uniqueness

Trillions of banner ads are served up and displayed every year. That’s a lot of noise. Try and think of how your banner ad can cut through the clutter, stand out and capture the attention of potential customers.

In summary then, when done right, banner ads provide an effective way of reaching your ideal audience. And if you’re in touch with the right people, in the right context, your banner ads can make for an incredibly successful digital campaign.