How useful are banner ads?

Recent YouGov research revealed the public’s low opinion of online banner ads – 74% said they found them boring. Perhaps predictably, the younger age bracket of 18-34 year olds were the most likely to be receptive.

The survey also asked what would make consumers more likely to engage with them. 53% said they would be more likely to click if they included ‘interesting pictures and illustrations’. Location appeared to make a difference too.

Respondents in Wales were least likely to notice or interact with a banner. Those in Northern Ireland, London and the South most likely to notice an ad, whereas the North of England, London, the Midlands and Scotland had engaged most.

But banner ads shouldn’t be dismissed as a low ROI option, as they are becoming increasingly sophisticated, enabling you to target your spend at receptive audiences. For instance, instead of just putting a banner on the Times website because that’s the target audience for a cruise, advertisers can target people that have been researching cruises, and if they click through but don’t book, they can be retargeted with a discount offer. Such highly targeted banners see wastage rates drop, so budgets can be redirected to more effective channels for other sections of your audience.

« Back to the news page

• ‹ Previous article
• Next article ›