What is Display Advertising & Why Use It?

Display advertising has been around for 15 years and is one of many forms of online advertising that is available to businesses. According to emarketer.com search engine advertising generates the most money with 12 million spent with Google alone last year. Display marketing has a lot of benefits that most businesses have yet to tap into, and 5 billion was spent on display advertising in 2009.

Display advertising is very similar in function to print or television advertising. Display ads can be found in the form of banner ads on many web pages. Banner ads are typically made up of images, text, or can be done in Flash (video ads are becoming more and more popular). The key to display ad success is that they load quickly and smoothly, have a way to grab someone’s attention, and a great call to action. Average ads produce below average results with display, so make sure you create 8-10 ads to start and constantly test and refine to see what is working.

A display ad is usually simple and to the point. It will contain both graphics and type with a message that encourages the viewer to click through to the landing page or website. Display ads are also a place to push your brand messaging. Some people will see the display ad and not click through but they are still internalizing the message and will remember your product or service down the line. The ultimate goal of a display ad is to be clicked on and bring the consumer to a web page to make a purchase or inquiry. However embedding brand awareness into the consumer can also make this happen even if it isn’t immediate.

Research has proven that display ads have increased advertiser web visits by 46%. And 27% were more likely to make an online purchase while 17% were more likely to buy from a retail store. You can tailor your display marketing campaign to meet the needs of your business. There is flexibility to send your ad to a broad audience or to pare down the results so that you limit who sees your ad thus increasing the quality (and cost) of the customer who sees your ad. You will improve website visitation and consistently build brand awareness throughout the campaign.

These unique benefits of display advertising make it a great addition to any online advertising plan.