Banner ads have become a staple of online advertising, capturing our attention as we navigate through countless websites. Whether we’re searching for the latest news or browsing our favorite shopping sites, these eye-catching ads are designed to engage us and drive traffic to businesses.

These ads are wonderful and very cost-effective for reaching a vast number of people online, increasing visibility, and sending targeted messages to potential customers.

Banner ads have been there since the beginning of the internet and is among one of the few tactics that could resist the test of time. In 2021, global banner advertising spending reached about $64 billion. That figure is likely to surpass $87 billion by 2028 – safe to say, it’s here to stay.

Here’s 10 amazing tips to create banner ads, from conception through final sign-off, in this how-to guide. So let’s get started on the essentials.

1. Outline your objectives

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In order to design a banner ad ,defining the prime objective of your campaign is a starting point to shape your entire creative process

Banner ads can serve many objectives, but some of the most common ones include:

• Drive website traffic
• Generate leads
• Boost sales
• Awareness of the brand

Consider the following points when outlining your objectives:

• Increase Brand Awareness: Aim to reach a larger audience and make your brand more recognizable.
• Drive Website Traffic: Focus on encouraging users to click through to your website for more information or to make a purchase.
• Boost Sales: Set specific sales targets for particular products or promotions featured in your ads.
• Generate Leads: Capture potential customer information through sign-ups or inquiries linked to the ad.
• Enhance Engagement: Encourage interactions with your brand on social media or through other platforms.

This will help in determining every little detail from the design and format to copywriting and the call to action once the objectives have been set early on.

2. Know your audience

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Do some research on the target audience. You may have a general idea of who they are and what they are interested in. But dig deeper and really know them by their demographics, interests, and behaviors.

• Demographics: Identify the age, gender, location, and income levels of your audience to ensure your messaging and visuals are relevant.
• Interests and Hobbies: Research what your audience enjoys and how they spend their free time. This information can inform your ad content and design.
• Online Behavior: Analyze how your audience interacts with online content, including which platforms they use, what types of ads they engage with, and their purchasing habits.
• Pain Points: Understand the challenges and problems your audience faces, allowing you to position your product or service as a solution.
• Feedback and Engagement: Gather insights from social media interactions, customer reviews, and surveys to refine your understanding of what resonates with your audience.

Understanding as much as possible about the target audience means that the message of the ad, its design, and the placement would be more effectively tailored toward the effective production of really resonant banner ads to those that really matter.

3. Right choice of size and format banner

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There are a great number of formats that the shape and size of a banner has. Most online marketing media suggest that we need to choose this format prioritizing the platform and the place in our account with our marketing goals.

Here is a list of some of the banner size formats which might be helpful for consideration :

• Leaderboard advertisement– It is a banner which is horizontal and advertises an advertisement ad in measurements of (728×90). At most places in web pages it appears top. It is suitable to display the brand messages and some important announcements.
• Skyscraper ad (160×600) – This is a vertical tall ad that will normally be displayed on the side of the web page. This is ideal when promoting a number of different products or services.
• Medium rectangle ad (300×250) – This ad can fit into any space in sections of the web page sections. It is ideal to use in the promotion of a product.
• Large rectangle ad (336×280) – This is quite more noticeable and larger as compared to the medium rectangle. This is ideal when emphasizing a product or services.
• Half-page ad (300×600) – A tall and spacious ad format that draws attention due to its size, providing ample space for creative visuals and content.

Various sites from Google Ads to Facebook all have specific requirements, and the dimensions for a custom might differ. Look into all that once you know the location where you want your banner ads. That is going to help you feel comfortable when it’s time to begin doing your work in designing those banner ads.

4. Find a tool to aid you with banner ad designs

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If you are a designer, then you will definitely have your favorite tools for the job. But in case you are new in the game, it is great to spend some time getting to know the best available online design tools. Of course, such tools are:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Canva
• Google Web Designer.

Many of the tools allow you to choose professionally designed templates, fonts, images, and graphics for designs and more, so even a non-designer can create some pretty pretty banner ads!

5. Play with colors

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Colors beautify your ad in a manner that nothing else would. Above this, different colors generate different emotions in the user. For example, red usually symbolizes passion, energy, and confidence, while white is used to depict purity and simplicity.

Here are some tips for experimenting with colors in your banner ad designs:

• Understand Color Psychology: Different colors evoke specific feelings and reactions. For instance, blue often conveys trust and reliability, while red can create excitement or urgency. Choose colors that align with the emotions you want to evoke in your audience.
• Use Contrast Wisely: High contrast between text and background colors can make your ads more readable and visually striking. Ensure that your message stands out, especially when using bold or bright colors.
• Stay Consistent with Branding: Incorporate your brand colors to maintain consistency across all marketing materials. This helps reinforce brand identity and makes your ads more recognizable.
• Test Combinations: Don’t hesitate to try various color combinations. Use A/B testing to determine which color schemes resonate best with your audience and drive the highest engagement.
• Limit Your Palette: While it can be tempting to use many colors, a limited palette often results in a cleaner, more professional look. Aim for two to three main colors that work well together and support your ad’s message.

In designing a banner, choose colors that reflect what your brand is all about. If you are using an ads banner design company, bring the brand colors across to the company while briefing them on the ad.

6. Use the buttons

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While reading an ad, the user subconsciously wants to know what they are supposed to do next with that information. The advertiser must redirect them to the correct page. So, always use a button in your ads banner design. Keep these points in mind:

• Make the button easily accessible—most brands prefer to keep them at the bottom.
• Choose your correct button size. No extremely large or small sizing allowed.

 Use light and bright colors to ensure attraction for a user eye as below.

7. Choose the ideal font.

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Although it might occasionally be somewhat of an afterthought, font is actually just as crucial as the other components of your design. And when it comes to drawing attention and conveying your message, it can make all the difference. Here are the shortened pointers for choosing the ideal font for banner ads:

• Prioritize Readability: Choose clear, simple fonts that are easy to read, like sans-serif options.
• Consider Hierarchy: Use varying sizes and weights to highlight key messages and create a visual flow.
• Match Your Brand Personality: Select fonts that reflect your brand’s identity and the emotions you want to convey.
• Limit Font Varieties: Stick to one or two fonts to maintain consistency and avoid clutter.
• Test for Impact: Experiment with different fonts and use A/B testing to find what resonates best with your audience.
• Ensure Compatibility: Choose web-safe fonts that display correctly across all devices and browsers.

Select typefaces that are easy to read, consistent with your logo, and successfully support the goal of the advertisement, whether it is to communicate playfulness, sophistication, or urgency. 

8. Keep size and file type

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According to Google Adwords, a maximum of 150 KB in size is recommended for any type of banner ad. Smaller files download much quicker, even over dial-up internet connections. An image file can be accepted as JPG, PNG, GIF, or HTML5.

9. Keep it simple yet attention-grabbing

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 Simplicity is always elegant. Make your content simple yet compelling, just like this iPhone ad. It uses minimal text and a standard image. In it, the product stands out, and so does its feature of privacy.

10. Position the ad correctly

You have adhered to the rules all along; you want to see the light of your ad. Last leg of where to place the ad. We always recommend to buy dedicated space on a website close to page’s actual content.

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This ad by Netflix is strategically placed right on the homepage of the Times of India, just above their recent news updates and blogs.

Conclusion 

These 10 amazing tips to create banner ads are quite enough to get you started with crafting impactful third-party website ads. The next step is to partner with a digital ad design agency that can bring your ideas to life and effectively promote your products. 

Don’t wait—contact Tangence today to transform your advertising vision into reality and watch your brand flourish!