Weekly Online Lesson

Online Lesson Archives

Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Business/Marketing

Banner Ads

By now you're a savvy, experienced Web surfer. You know there's plenty of information out there on the global network, and you know how to find it. You know the Web is growing fast, but do you understand the market forces fueling it? Do you know why there's so much information out there? Can you see how the Web has become the infrastructure of the new electronic marketplace?

And do you know what drives the marketplace?

Advertising.

How does a successful business tell customers about their products and services? How do they get people to come in and browse around—and hopefully buy something? They advertise. You see plenty of advertisements in the local newspaper every day, placed by businesses who want you to know more about them. Major television stations are no different.

On the Web, businesses often place banner ads in high-traffic areas of the Web. These "click-through" ads are carefully designed to entice users to visit their site and learn more about what they have to offer. Maybe you'll be interested, maybe you won't. The objective is getting you to the site so you can find out.

To what extent does Web advertising influence your surfing habits? Which banner ads are you more likely to click-through? How much do advertising agencies (the folks who design ads) really know about you? In this online lesson you'll learn more about the world of Internet advertising.

It's an incredible offer you just can't pass up!

DoubleClick

DoubleClick is a global Internet advertising company specializing in solutions that make Internet advertising work for Web publishers and Web advertisers. They have quite a few resources for businesses, including a learning center where the uninitiated can find out more about Web advertising. When you visit the Learning Center, click the Resources link and then click Direct Marketing Tips. Do you want to know what makes a great ad? Read the ten tips to find out. It's TOTALLY FREE . . . besides, you'll need to know this stuff for the assignment at the end of the lesson.

Once you've covered the tips, click the Effectiveness Influences link to learn about the four main factors that influence the effectiveness of online advertising. You'll then be ready to learn ten Effectiveness Tips for banner advertising—a variation on the ten direct marketing tips you read earlier. Of course, you want to avoid banner burnout, which means users have seen the ad so many times that they no longer want to click it. In an industry where the bottom-line is a top priority, advertisers need to know when an ad needs to be pulled. Find out how advertisers determine this by reading the research on the Banner Burnout page.

Ad Resource

Ad Resource is a library of critical Web advertising and marketing information. Like DoubleClick, this site features and Advertising Primer for learning about terminology, traffic, statistics, and usage. What's the difference between a "hit" and an impression, and why is this important to advertisers? When you've read to find out the answer, click keep reading at the bottom of the page to continue reading Part 2 of the primer. Do likewise to read Part 3, Part 4.

Banner Ad Gallery

Think you've got a handle on banner ads? If you're ready for a hard-line critique, browse through these collections of professionally-produced banner ads. Which are the most effective? Which ads would you click on? Why?

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