What Works Better – Banner Ads or Text Links?

When it comes to making money from a website, one of the first questions entrepreneurs ask is, “What works better, banner ads or text links?” First, recognize that there is no one size fits all answer when it comes to advertising. You’ll get a variety of responses depending on who you ask.

Most entrepreneurs will tell you that adding advertising on a website is a process of trial and error. Because what works for one website may not work for another and vice versa, so it’s important to carefully track the conversion rates of ads on your site.

Pay attention to which type of ads work best as well as where they’re placed. Some website owners find visitors respond best to ads immediately under the posts, while others see the best response from ads in the sidebar.

Also pay attention to the coloring. With many advertising networks allowing you to customize your ads, try to choose advertisements that complement your color scheme. Ads that complement your color scheme foster a sense of confidence in your site visitors because the ads look like they’re part of the site instead of being placed randomly.

With banner ads, one of the advantages is being able to use pictures or animation in your advertisement. But banner ads also have some disadvantages – including banner blindness. Banner blindness is the result of visitors “expecting” banners and ignoring them. Most consumers will navigate around banners to read the content they want to see. Some banners will annoy site visitors, especially if they flash on and off rapidly.

Unless you run a shopping website, chances are visitors aren’t interested in ads specifically – they’re seeking information. The way that banners are set up, they might grab attention, but they rarely generate high click through rates.

By contrast, text links are often viewed as trustworthy and have higher click through rates than banner ads. Text links also load faster and are rarely blocked by web browsers.

Before you place ads on your website, make sure you fully understand the settings for your advertising network. Some networks like Google Adsense allow you to restrict certain categories so they never appear on your website.

If you’re running a family friendly website, your website visitors may not appreciate ads promoting a get rich quick scheme or male enhancement product. Block the ads that aren’t relevant to your website or that might be deemed offensive by visitors to ensure high relevancy and soaring click through rates.

To your Success, Ann Moore (Mom Internet)

About Ann Moore

Follower of Jesus Christ, wife and Mom of a houseful of kiddos. Ann is co-author of "How To Sell On eBay - Your Step-By-Step Guide To Selling On eBay" In addition to her home management and administration skills, Ann is an entrepreneur at heart who loves to write. Her passionate writing topics include: Christian faith and living, Internet Marketing, Home Business Tips and Ideas, Time Management, Self-improvement and Travel.
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