How to make a banner ad that attracts?

Want to increase traffic to your site with banner advertising? First, you need to ask yourself: what can I do to design an ad that users will want to click on? One important rule is to follow the basic principles of designing nice and effective banner content. How can you make a good banner that will attract users’ attention? Could you read our guide and create one today?

Banner advertising on the Internet – what is it?

Banner advertising is a form of online advertising that involves placing a graphic advertising object on a website or mobile application. These banners are designed to attract users’ attention and get them to click on the ad, which leads to the advertiser’s landing page. They are usually designed in formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, and sometimes as animations or interactive elements in Flash or HTML5. Banners can be static or dynamic, and their main purpose is to promote products, services or brands, increase brand recognition, or generate traffic to the advertiser’s website. Banner ads can be found both on websites (such as Google Ads graphic ads) and on Facebook or Instagram. Learn how to create landing pages for Google Ads.

How to make a banner ad online? 9 tips

How to design and create a banner ad that will attract clicks and build audience engagement? Check out our list of tips!

1. Use the most popular, standard banner sizes

Banner ads come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it’s important to choose a format based on your platform, location and marketing goals. Here is a setup of standard banner sizes for different types of platforms that you should consider:

• Leaderboard ad (728×90) – a wide, horizontal ad, often placed at the top of webpages, ideal for brand messages and large ads.
• Skyscraper ad (160×600) – a tall, vertical ad that usually appears on the side of websites, ideal for showcasing multiple products or services.
• Mid-size Rectangular ad (300×250)– a universal ad size that fits various sections of websites, good for product promotion.
• Mobile ad (320×50 mpx) – a format designed for banners used in smartphone ads.
• Large rectangular ad (336×280) -a larger and more visible version of the medium rectangle, ideal for highlighting products or services.
• Half-page ad (300×600) – a tall and spacious ad format that stands out for its large size, providing plenty of space for creative visuals and content.

Remember that different platforms, from Google Ads to Facebook, have their own specific requirements and custom dimensions, so be sure to check them out once you know exactly where you want to place your banner ads. That way you’ll be in a good place when you start working on banner ad design.

2. Place your banner ad in the right place on the page

The proper location of a banner ad can significantly affect its effectiveness. If you place the banner at the very bottom of the page, the chance that a user will reach it is slim, to say the least (remember that the determination of the Internet audience is rather low, and they expect solutions given „on a platter”). Therefore, place banner ads on the site in the following strategic places:

• At the top of the page, in the above-the-fold section (above the fold), that is, in the section that is immediately visible when the page loads without the need to scroll.
• In the sidebars on the page In your favor here is the constant visibility of the ads along with the scrolling of the page.
• In the head content of the page, such as between paragraphs Here it is important that these ads are well integrated into the content and do not interrupt the flow of the content. It is also a good idea to make sure that the ads correspond thematically to the surrounding content.
• On mobile devices, place ads in places that do not interfere with the reception of the content (remember, space is scarce). Make sure that ads on mobile devices are scaled appropriately and easy to close, increasing user-friendliness.

3. Take care of the hierarchy of elements on the banner ad

Effective banner ads are designed to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your site. They have three basic components:

• Your company’s logo – make sure it’s visible, but doesn’t dominate the banner’s value proposition or call to action. The logo should be subtle and placed in a place that doesn’t catch the eye first – for example, in the corner of the graphic.
• The value proposition presents the service/product you offer and draws attention to itself with attractive offers and prices. Think of content such as: „High quality” „50% off” or „Limited time offer.” The value proposition should take up the most space in the ad and be the first element that catches the eye of your audience.
• Call to Action (CTA) is a text or button that encourages users to click. Phrases such as „Learn more” „Start a trial period” or „Sign up now” are great examples. The CTA should be the clear, central point of the ad, as it is with it that you take the user to the landing page.

4. Offer a discount

How to make a good banner ad for your site that will attract clicks? Give something more from yourself – offer a discount, free shipping or rebate. This can be a percentage discount (e.g. „-20% on your first order”) or an amount discount (e.g. „£50 discount on order over £200”). Make the numbers that talk about discounts stand out on the banner (write them in a large and clear font). Set a time limit for the discount to create a sense of urgency (e.g., „Discount for the weekend only!”). Add the ability to go directly to the promotion page after clicking on the banner.

To further increase effectiveness, tailor offers to specific groups of users based on their previous interactions with the site or demographics. You can, for example, offer users discounts on products they previously viewed in the store but abandoned. This technology is successfully used by remarketing.

5. Use animation to make your banner stand out

Animated banners often stand out from static images, attracting user attention and encouraging interaction. What can you do to make a banner with animation work even better and attract even more clicks?

• Determine the purpose of the animation. Animations can serve various purposes, such as highlighting a key message, drawing attention to a specific element (such as a CTA button), or telling a short story related to the product. If the main goal is to increase the clickability of the CTA button, the animation can focus on the gentle pulsing of this button, which will naturally attract the user’s eye.
• Create simple and effective animations – use subtle transitions or color changes that do not overwhelm, but add variety to the viewing experience.
• Optimize duration and intervals – the ideal animation duration is 5-10 seconds. Longer animations can be annoying or may not be noticed by users who quickly leave the site. If the animation is repeated, provide appropriate intervals between cycles (e.g., an animation every 30 seconds) to avoid oversaturation.
• Maintain a balance between attractiveness and performance – make sure the animation is well-optimized for file size. Large files can slow down page loading, negatively affecting the user experience Use file compression and test page performance with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to make sure animations don’t negatively impact loading speed.

6. Instill a sense of urgency

How to make a banner ad that works even faster? Use the strategy of creating a sense of urgency. It involves telling the user that the offer is limited in some way, and if they wait to make a decision, they may not have time to take advantage of the offer. How to put this strategy into practice in banner ad design?

• Enter time-limited offers – set a clear and specific end date for the promotion or event. Use phrases such as “Today only!”, “Last 24 hours!” or “Offer ends at midnight!”. Integrate a countdown into the banner that visually shows how much time is left until the offer ends. This is especially effective because a visual countdown increases the sense of urgency.
• Inform about the limited number of products – communicate that products are only available in limited quantities. Formulate messages such as “Only X units left!” or “Sold 90% of stock!”. Regularly update the available stock on the banner so users can see that products are indeed disappearing quickly.
• Create exclusives for first-time customers – offer special benefits to the first group of buyers, such as additional discounts or gifts. Use phrases like “Free shipping for the first 100 customers” or “For the first 50 orders 30% off!”. Communicate how many people can take advantage of the offer, which increases the feeling that you need to act quickly to get in front of others.
• Produce time-limited product trials – offer short, free trial versions of services or products. “Test for free for 7 days, register before the end of the week!”. Emphasize that access to the full version of the product or additional benefits is only available after taking advantage of the trial offer.
• Use emotion-inducing language – how to do it: Use dynamic and emotional words that attract attention and encourage immediate action, such as “immediately”, “now” or “don’t miss”. Combining emotional language with visual cues such as red buttons or flashing arrows can increase the effectiveness of the message. Learn how to use benefit language in marketing campaigns

7. Put social proof on graphics

How to design a banner ad that inspires trust and motivates people to click? Put social proof on it, that is, an element that shows that your company can be trusted. How to practically incorporate this strategy into website banner ad design?

• Add short but specific user reviews to the banner ad. Ideally, these reviews should include specific benefits that users have gained from the product or service. E.g. I finally got my house cleaned effortlessly! To increase credibility, include a photo of the person (remember to ask the customer’s permission) or initials and location, which makes the review seem more authentic.
• Use statistics to show how many people have used your product or service, or what benefits it has brought to users Effective slogans can be: “Join 10,000 satisfied customers!” or “95% of users noticed an improvement in the first 7 days.” To increase the effect, present the data in an attractive graphic form, such as progress bars, charts or counters.
• Show logos of well-known companies or brands that use your product or service This adds credibility and shows that you are a trusted partner in the industry. However, make sure you can do so legally.
• If your product or service has been awarded by well-known organizations, it is definitely worth highlighting this on your banners Example: “Gold Medal Winner 2021 in the Technology category” or “Premier Google Ads Partner.” Keep your certifications and awards up to date, as outdated information can hurt instead of help.
• Use statements or posts from social media as social proof. Quotes from Twitter, Facebook or Instagram that can be visualized directly on the banner can be very persuasive. For example, add to the banner a screenshot of feedback from your customer’s real account, preferably a company’s, if you’re in the B2B sector.

8. Ensure banner readability

A clear banner ad ensures that the brand message reaches and is understood by the recipient. Good practices for designing clear and pretty banner ads for websites include:

• simplicity of design – a banner with a bright background and contrasting text. Simple graphics that do not obscure the text and a single, clear message. The opposite: too many graphic elements, different types of fonts and background colours that blend with the text, making it difficult to focus on the message,
• appropriate font – use a large, readable font without unnecessary embellishments. Sans-serif fonts, such as Arial or Helvetica, are usually best for online readability. The opposite: using ornate or handwritten fonts, which can be difficult to read, especially in smaller sizes,
• colour contrast – a good example is dark-coloured text on a light background or vice versa. A bad one? Using low-contrast colours, like dark blue text on a black background,
• limit text – focus on one clear message with short and concise text. „Buy now – 50% off!” A bad example is: trying to convey too much information on one banner,
• clarity of message – a clear call to action (CTA), such as a „Buy Now” or „Learn More” button that is easily visible and encourages clicking. It is a mistake not to have a clear call to action or to place it in a place where it is easily overlooked.

See also:

• how to create ad text for Google Ads,
• how to write ad text for Meta Ads.

9. Use images only when you need them

Undue or inappropriate use of graphics can also get in the way and distract from the main message. Therefore, it is important to use images strategically and only when they enhance the effectiveness of the message. How to maintain a balance between minimalism and attractiveness of the advertising message on a banner?

• Choose images that directly illustrate or reinforce the advertising message For example, if a banner advertises a product, the image of that product should be visible. Avoid an image if that image adds nothing of value to the message or gets in the way of understanding the message.
• Consider what the viewer should do after seeing the image If the image prompts an action consistent with the purpose of the ad, it is a good choice. A good example is a picture of a person using a mobile app on a smartphone in a banner promoting a mobile app.
• Choose images that resonate with your audience’s emotions and your messages will become more compelling. Images that evoke emotion can be very effective, especially in industries such as tourism, gastronomy or humanitarian aid.
• Before adding an image, make sure it is consistent with the overall look and feel of the brand. Use a consistent colour palette, style of photography and graphics that are consistent with the elements of the brand’s visual identity.

Find out what banner blindness is and how to avoid it.

Summary

In summary, creating an effective banner ad that attracts attention and effectively communicates a message requires a strategic approach and an understanding of basic design and marketing principles. An effective banner ad should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also optimized for marketing purposes and tailored to the expectations and needs of the target audience.