Do Banners Really Pay Off?
 

I have been flying banners of my sites for years and I have not had the success to make it worth while to continue with this pratice. I was wondering if anyone out there has had some success and if so if they would impart some knowledge to me and others of how to make this work.

TIA

DT

hum....
 

1st- welcome to the board :D
2nd- i use them and use also text links.... and also use combos banner + text link....

and made some sales with that....
but i think it has more to do with the type of traffic!!!

but this is just my opinion!

I stopped using banners over a year ago.

Surfn but sometimes banners can be useful can't they?....

I suppose if the surfer can see them they might. I find it doubtful however since they are virtual immune to banners. Large colorful teasing text they seem to still notice.

Look at the cover of any magazine. They have a pic or pics...but they get you to pick up the magazine and buy it with text.

Surfn i said it all....
i completly agree with you :D

I use text on almost all the sites/galleries I build, but using banners really depends on the template that I'm using for the page & who the sponsor is.

Do you find you get a better conversion with text links than you do with banners?

Same here.


Talking to the surfer is the only way to go.

Let me clarify something....

Sometimes I usue just text
Sometimes I use text & banners
Rarely do I use just a banner with no text

Gotta agree with everyone else on this one . . . using banners all by themselves is a dead art. You need to step up the creativity level and start mixing the graphics with catchy text and your CTR will take a jump.

We use a mix of both, text+banners and text only. However we have found it very beneficial to learn your traffic then design creatives to meet their needs - it is then you will see an explosion in CTR on your ad spots.

I use both, banners with text on top and bottom - a banner by it self is a sad thing to see, a good mix seams to do the trick..

It seems very text-based banners are still doing the trick...
I have one in the banner rotator on top of my main page which makes 2 or 3 sign-ups a week. The older-style colourful graphics seem to be a thing of the past unless you support them by good text (in which case button-style banners are fine).

But then: I hardly ever relied upon the normal 468x80 (or whatever) banners; I always preferred magazine-style banners (ratio of 200x300).

But gallery designs w/o graphics don't work either...

learn the ins and outs of style sheets! Then you can create text with graphical appearance, and don't have to make gifs just for an advertising header (also great for SEs!)

Stylesheets are nice for many things. Too bad that a lot of TGPs/LL ban them because they can be used for install toolbars and stuff.

How?

And let me add, wha? I've never seen a TGP or Link List ban style sheets. And if I found one that did, it would be off my submit list faster than you can say "Greenguy and Jim".

I didn't know this was a LL...




|couch|




|escape|

So a gallery like this that uses only the promo material the sponsor has to offer wouldn't convert?

Call me old fashioned, but I really hate a lot of those galleries & free sites that are loaded to the gills with graphics.

I asked myself just a few days ago how much more I might make without normal sized banners...

interesting thread

I agree...

I'll say something else as well, it amazes me that pretty galleries are not in the minority. Based on my understanding of what typical surfers want, basic-looking galleries (and free sites) should yield higher CTR. Content and text are all that's important IMO. That and a good sponsor tour.

hum...
 

i agree with kristian and GreenGuy...

u are not going to a fireworks show!

and the sponcer should have a good tour.... i really agree with this...

and some don't have.... pitty....

Since the topic has shifted from banners to graphics I'll add that I do as little graphics as possible. MrMaryLou can verify this. :)

And yes they convert really well. :D

Never came across one! But then I have my CSS on the page - not loaded from a seperate directory (hence every person and software can check it in the source code), mostly to guarantee compatibility with older browsers (older Netscape & Modzilla versions wouldn't load pages with external CSS!).

Banners work in some mediums. I would give FPA and HPAs
a try along with good textlinks.

I use a mix of odd sized banners, pure text links and css styled text links with padding and hover colors...to make it 'graphical'.

I almost always attach a text link to the tag on banners.

I'd never use a standard sized banner as the sole advertising source on a page.

I think larger banners like a hpa or fpa resized to 400x240 or thereabouts can be an effective tool especially if it has some good ad copy.

When my HD died I used an old pc running in 800x600 and happened to look at a couple of my free sites in that resolution and was hjappy with what I saw.

Maybe one reason text links get more clicks is because the surfer doesn't have the visual cue from the banner so even if it's a sponsor he's seen dozens of time before he'll have to click the link to see the sponsor.

If the sponsor has a good entrance page and tour perhaps that'll snag 'em.

All that stated, I tend to put heavy emphasis on the ad copy text links and view good banners as a compliment to my ad copy.

I bet a pure text link free site is a little refreshing to the surfer. Many banners are just an obnoxious SALES tool people beat them over the head with.

Pure text sites must seem 'ad free' to joe surfer. If the ad copy is good then the text will help work them up and seems part of the content as opposed an annoying ad tactic.

I find this too funny, you say you stopped using banners and there is a banner in your sig!! |jester|

cheers,
Luke

There wasn't anything for over 3,000 posts.

Besides it doesn't show up half the time. |jester|

I will click it for ya ;)


cheers,
Luke

so what kind of texxt links do you use?

talk dirty to the surfer or tell him whats at the paysite waiting,or both?

welcome aborad!

text adds work better!

Are you asking me? It varies according to niche. Most freaks have their own trigger words :D

I have used them all, horizontal banners, odd banners, vertical banners, text links, table ads, banners with text links, FPAs, HPAs, whatever I find.

All of them sell sooner or later. It may take one day, week, month, half a year, year, but usually they all sell sooner or later.