Banner Ad Design Dos and Don’ts to Follow For Every Campaign – Design Guide

Banner ads, or display ads, are crucial and are highly recommended to be a part of every business’s paid marketing plan. 

Of course, as a business owner, one has several assets at their disposal in the form of social media ads, search ads, email marketing, etc. And, amidst all these, they tend to overlook the impact of well-designed banner ads.

According to a report, 43% of PPC marketers say display ads are their least effective channel – yet 84% of marketers are still investing on display ads.

This proves that irrespective of how obsolete one may consider display ads to be, they still are very much relevant and important to any marketing strategy. 

And, therefore, it is important to work on the overall design of the banner ads. After all, they are “display ads” so need to be aesthetically displayed.    

Here are some basic dos and don’ts to follow when planning to design custom banner ads. 

Banner Ad Design Dos

Do display your logo: One of the main purposes of conducting banner advertising is to increase brand recognition and awareness. And, in order to achieve that, it is imperative that you include your business logo in your display ad design. Ideally, the logo should cover 10-15% of the total ad area. This is to say that logo should be clearly visible to the audience. 

Do highlight the CTA button:You need to tell your viewers what you want them to do. Use a bold color to make your call-to-action button stand out and choose your words carefully. Phrases like ‘Click Here,’ ‘Learn More,’ ‘Watch Now,’ or ‘Register Here’ will prompt users to click on your ad. 

Do have a clear objective: The goal of your campaign will determine the copy and the creative. Brand awareness campaigns tend to have a different creative feel and message compared to lead generation campaigns.

Do define value proposition: It is important to highlight and clearly define the value proposition in your banner ad design. 

For the uninitiated, a value proposition is the list of the best features of your products/services. It is your value proposition that will get your audience to click on your ad. 

A good practice here is to use data to create targeted ads that answer the queries which your target audience is seeking. 

Do create a sense of urgency: One of the unique qualities of an effective banner ad design is that it entices the users to take an action almost immediately. Words like “ends soon,” “limited time,” and “act now” portray a need to respond quickly to not miss out on the deal you are offering.

Do have consistency: One of the highly recommended design policies for any business setup is to have a well-defined brand style guide. This not only helps in maintaining consistency throughout all your campaigns but, also makes sure that your ads stay true to your brand voice and communicate a consistent message. 

Even if you are selling a different product or service in each ad, your brand standards will help all the ads tie together.

 

Banner Ad Design Don’ts

Don't rely on one size: One-size-fits-all doesn’t really work well with display ad designs. However, with over 40 display ad formats on the Google network, it can get really time-consuming to create multiple variations of your ad. 

A good practice, therefore, is to have ads with dimensions that are commonly used and are said to perform better. Some of these dimensions are;

• Large Rectangle: 336 × 280
• Inline rectangle: 300 × 250
• Half Page: 300 × 600
• Large Mobile: 320 × 100
• Leader board: 728 × 90

The idea is to use the space wisely and make your message concise. No need to cramp your content in a small space. 

Don't point users to just your home page. Don't just direct your consumers to your home page, make the clicks count. A campaign-specific landing page that is optimized for conversion and echoes the look and feel of your advertisement will provide a more successful experience.

Don't forget the colors and fonts: Color will be the first thing a user notices in your banner ad. Colors are also subjective and have different associations in different cultures. Make sure to study your target audience when making your color selections. 

Additionally, make sure you are not using random typefaces just because they look good. One of the worst mistakes made by brands is selecting hard-to-read fonts. Stay away from cursive fonts, extremely thin or small fonts, or all uppercase copy. 

Don’t use unprofessional images: Imagery, whether illustration or photos, can take a display ad to a whole new level. So, it is important to be mindful of the images you select for your banner ad design. They should be meaningful and support the messaging. Choose relevant graphics and photos that enhance your message and are directly related to your product.

 

To conclude…

Can you relate with these banner ad designs dos and don’ts? Have you been following any of these tactics in your banner ad campaigns? Do you even choose banner ads for your paid campaigns?

If you are not sure about the answers to these questions, it’s time to take professional help. Get in touch with us at support@graphicszoo.com and speak to our design advisors today to learn more on how you can use custom designs to improve your branding through ad campaigns.