Display advertising is one of the oldest forms of advertising known to man. In its simplest form, it is any type of sales focused communication that occurs between a business and the customers they are attempting to attract. This type of marketing has been used on television, newspapers, billboards and much more. In modern marketing, digital display advertising is one of the fastest growing options available, and when used properly it can be extremely effective.
The type of display advertising that we focus on here is commonly called digital display advertising, and is typically going to be in the form of an ad that shows up on a specific website. For example, many websites offer specific spots on their page where businesses can purchase an ad-spot. Every time someone visits that page, they will see the advertisement in addition to the normal content on the page.
Benefits of Display Advertising
There are a number of great benefits that you can enjoy when using display advertising as part of your overall marketing strategy. The following are some of the most important benefits that you should be aware of:
- Know the Audience – Since you choose the exact websites where your ad is displayed, you will know a lot about who will see it. This can help you to ensure your ad is seen primarily by people who are likely to be interested in the products or services you are selling.
- Predictable Costs – Most websites that sell ad space directly to markets will charge a set amount per week or per month. This makes it possible to predict the exact costs associated with each ad you purchase.
- Great for ‘Top of Funnel’ – Display advertising is most often used to build brand recognition and get people interested in your company. Essentially it helps to get people into the top of your sales funnel so you can use other marketing techniques to get them to convert into sales over time.
Disadvantages of Display Advertising
As with all types of marketing, there are some potential down sides to this option as well. Here at InWurx, our goal is to help avoid or mitigate these potential problems for you, but it is a good idea to be aware of them when developing your marketing strategy:
- In Depth Research Required – In order to get the best results for your investment, there needs to be a lot of research before choosing which sites to advertise on. We will not only work hard to find a site with a lot of high quality traffic, but also to ensure that traffic will likely convert well.
- Takes Time – Display advertising can often take significantly longer to begin to convert at high levels than other types. This is why it is considered a ‘top of funnel’ type of marketing.
- Ongoing Monitoring – Sites that look good at first can change and evolve over time, which can sometimes cause them to become poor candidates for your marketing dollars. This is why we will keep an eye on the analytics from the site and see how much traffic is being generated. When necessary, we will have to make changes to where your ads are being displayed.
Choosing Effective Ads
If you decide to go with display advertising as part of your overall marketing strategy, one of the most important elements to consider is the ad itself. You can go with anything from a simple text advertisement to an image, or even a video or interactive ad. Whichever option you decide to go with, it is critical to have a high quality advertisement that will be eye catching and convert well.
In many cases it is possible to have multiple different ads displayed on a site, and then rotate them through to see which ones convert the best. Of course, the more ads you have made, the more expensive it can be. If you’re looking to get the best results, however, that may be an option to consider.
Knowing Your Objective
Another thing that you’ll need to think about when using display advertising is what your goals are with this type of ad. Of course, you will want to improve profitability, but there are many different things that you can do to help achieve that goal. Some potential ways that display ads can be used include:
- Build Exposure – One of the most common uses of display advertising is getting exposure to potential customers. Your ad will serve as an ‘introduction’ of your business to those who see it. In many cases, these individuals will have never heard of your company before, so this can be an extremely important step.
- Drive Traffic – You may also be looking to get a large number of people to visit your website. This will help them to see the products and services you offer, and possible get them to sign up for a newsletter or email list. Traffic to a website is extremely important for both online and offline businesses.
- Lead Generation – It is often possible to get people to request additional information from your business after seeing or clicking on an ad on another site. You can then reach out to these people directly to hopefully convert them into sales.
Of course, you may also have other goals in mind for this type of advertising. We will work with you to come up with the perfect approach to display advertising so that you can get the results you desire. We’ll then set up a campaign and maintain it over time to help get you the results your business is looking for.
AdWords Display Advertising
One great way to improve on the already great option of digital display advertising is to use Google’s AdWords program. It will allow you to target your audience much more precisely, and also have your ad displayed on a much wider set of pages (including Google’s search results). Click here to learn more about AdWords display advertising.