| Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you're doing --- but nobody else does. Let's talk about turning on the Internet for your business. The goal: to leave the "dark ages" behind and to begin to explore new and exciting ways, using state-of-the-art technology, to spread the word about your business and/or product. Even in the year 2000, with all the extraordinary advances and opportunities presented via the Internet, many business people still rely on traditional routes of advertising like direct marketing, print, and outdoor with an occasional foray into TV or radio, to get their message out. Most of us have heard about the power of the Internet, but many of us do not have a clear idea on how to tap the potential or to structure their message in the most efficient way possible.
For the uninitiated, advertising on the Internet can be intimidating; however, it needn't be. There are basic elements to creating a presence on the net; web design, site promotion, search engine registration all follow basic rules of advertising and the concepts will come quickly to anyone with advertising experience.
Banner Ads
For starters, let me introduce you to the concept of banner advertising. This cost-effective, attention-grabbing on-line mode of communication is the name given to the variously shaped boxes typically found on commercial or search engine pages. Banner ads utilize Internet technology to provide messages that contain sound and motion. Most importantly, they make it possible for users to click directly to your web site.
The very best banner ads are clever, colorful and creative --- and a proven way to connect with potential customers and clients. But keep in mind that these ads often compete with others on the same page. You want yours to be the one that viewers notice first, the one that jumps out and says "Look at me!!!" Here's a tip: One way to accomplish this goal and to get more hits is to promise the consumer a bonus, such as a free quote or a gift, if they click onto your site. This has been proven over and over again in controlled studies to significantly increase the click through rates for banner ads utilizing this technique.
For example, a plumbing company that specialized in finding and correcting water leaks was looking to broaden its customer base. To promote its business, the company selected a brightly colored, animated ad that depicted a man chasing a drop of water -- all the way across the Internet page. It drew attention, but when we added the incentive of a free site inspection for each click through, the business really started pouring in.
A Few Pointers
A couple of other points should be made regarding the above story. First of all, anyone designing your advertising campaign should recognize the need to measure all of your ads to see which are more effective. Plus, you should test several versions in each campaign. The information you learn today will help the campaign you design tomorrow.
Secondly, and specific to creating the banner ads: If there is too much going on in the banner, it slows down the load time and you might wind up trying the patience of the person whose attention you want to attract. Time is of the essence, and the idea is to draw them in. While it often helps to have a gimmick, it also is important to remember that sometimes less is more -- and you don't want to overwhelm.
Ad Placement
Once you have a great banner ad, the question becomes where to put it. Any buyer has an overwhelming choice between commercial sites, search engines and reciprocal placements with compatible sites. What should ultimately sway your decision is how well the site reaches your potential customer. To determine this there are objective ways to categorize customers and site visitors. Among these factors we consider at The Michaels/Wilder Group are demographics (education, income levels, # of adults versus children, # of men versus women etc.), targeted mapping (geographic locations of home, work and play) and psychographics (attitudes and beliefs). When reviewing a site they will and should have these breakdowns for you. They should also tell you how long each visitor stays and where they navigate within the site.
Perhaps the most unique and exciting reality of banner advertising is that it allows you to track impressions -- to learn how many times the banner has appeared in front of a potential customer -- and to track click-throughs, to learn how many times the customer actually has been driven through to your specific site. In only a few short steps you know how may people saw your ad -- and how many of those sightings turned into actual business. This is very different than the traditional media we spoke of earlier and one of the main reasons you should consider a focused and efficient campaign on the net.
Determining who should help you put this campaign together is a little tricky, as the Internet industry is somewhat fragmented between designers, media buyers and agencies. Most designers will not have experience in developing media plans and most media buyers won't be a good fit for designing your banner ad. Therefore I would recommend you find a small to medium sized agency that either specializes or has a division concentrating in new media. They will have both designers and media buyers on staff to provide a comprehensive program.
- by Michael Zervas (published in the April 2000 issue of Assisted Living Success) | 
