Is Interactive Advertising Replacing Static Advertising on the Internet?
Currently, interactive advertising accounts for over half of spending on online display ads. Statistics have shown us time and time again since the inception of interactive advertising that interactive ads perform far better than static ads. Part of the reason why interactive advertising is experiencing such a boom now is the fact that the technology is becoming more accessible. Many interactive advertising companies offer advertising packages and solutions that are specifically tailored to companies who want to employ interactive advertising, and usability continues to improve each day. So that brings us to the question: do static ads have a future?
Due to the superior performance of interactive ads, many people wonder if there is even a use for static ads anymore. The majority of online publishers and media buyers will tell you that there is indeed still a time and a place for static ads. They may not be as impressive as interactive ads, but they are a safe bet anytime you are testing out a new audience and need something that is classic and simple. On blogs, static ads are shown to perform better than interactive ads. Static ads tend to fit in better on blogs than interactive ads since they run in a column alongside the blog posts. Animated ads stand out too much on blogs, so they should be avoided if you want to advertise on blogs. People tend to avoid ads that scream out to them on blogs because they are annoying. On the other hand, a simple, uncluttered static ad can actually be more inviting on a blog.
Static ads can also be useful for advertising on other content-rich sites such as news sites and e-newsletters. Interactive ads don’t work well on these types of sites because they attract too much attention away from the content. Static ads are ideal because they don’t detract from the reading material.
Static ads are also effective if you want to capture the prospect’s attention through being relevant rather than through being highly visible. For example, if a static ad contains information or images that correspond to the target audience and are relevant to the content on the webpage, they tend to have a high click through rate.
The idea of attracting attention in advertising through delivering a relevant message is known as behavioral marketing. So, static ads may not perform as well as interactive ads overall, but they do still have their time and place. Better targeting always leads to better performance, both in static and interactive advertising.
Although static advertising is effective in some situations, the advertising world continues to move more towards interactive advertising. Interactive ads are more popular these days because advertisers want to do more with their ads and get more attention. However, it’s important to be cautious when developing interactive ads because consumers tend to dislike ads that are too “in your face.”
How to Maximize ROI in Your Advertising Campaign
Whether you’re using interactive ads or static ads, there are a few elements you can include in your ad to ensure that it leads to conversions. For one, make sure your ad includes a call to action. The benefit of online advertising is that you can get an immediate response. Take advantage of this by including a call to action, such as, “click here,” in your ad. Other terms that work well in getting people to click on ads include, “Hurry!” and “Offer ends soon!!” Using a call to action is an important psychological tactic in advertising.
You should also design a few different ads and measure the click-through statistics of each. By doing so, you can determine which ads receive the most clicks in order to weed out the less effective ads. It’s also good to change your ads frequently to keep things fresh. People will be more likely to continue clicking on your ads if they are different each time they visit a site. If you are advertising on the same site for a long period, people will eventually stop clicking on your ad if you always use the same one.
Be specific in your ad. Rather than running a very general ad for your business, use ads to advertise special offers or specific products. You can generate more leads that way because your traffic will be more targeted. Also make sure that your ad is obvious and honest. You don’t want to use deception to get people to click on your ads because it could backfire. People will come to think of your company as one that cannot be trusted. Furthermore, the majority of people who click on the ad will probably be pointless visitors who won’t help you achieve the desired ROI anyway. Make sure that it’s clear exactly what your ad is for and that people will know what to expect once they click on your ad.
