Forum Moderators: not2easy
I am putting together some banners for a clients site to go on an affiliate programme.
Should we go down the GIF route and have them be universally viewable or go for flash and make them, well, flashy!
your thoughts would be most appreciated
cheers
Hughie
Other than the obvious gap between graphic capabilities of Flash compared to GIF, you should also remember that alot of affiliates or link exchanges have a max filesize for your image, so a 468x60 GIF with 5 frames could easily put you over a 10k filesize limit if one were so imposed.
Cheers,
Hughie
We know that users don't like banner ads.
We know that users hate animated banners.
What's the goal here? Piss the user off? You should probably go with Flash and maybe add some sounds, just to make sure that even blind people don't miss the obnoxious glory that's supposed to be gaining their custom... somehow.
The client isn't always right.
sorry, missed your last post, should have checked control panel...
They've gone for animated as it catches the eye better and can get across a stronger message, its a physical product (item of clothing) so different shots of said clothing and messages come in handy and increase conversion rates for our affiliates.
ta,
hughie
We know that users don't like banner ads.
We know that users hate animated banners.
who is "we"? I don't know that. And in fact, I KNOW that that is not necessarily true...completely depends of the market, the site and the product.
If I had a fashion site, I might like a whole series of flash ads of the same size, with different items in them from the same merchant. But I would want something more like a short film than an ad. Something that showed what the product was like from different angles and how it moved.
who is "we"? I don't know that. And in fact, I KNOW that that is not necessarily true...completely depends of the market, the site and the product.
Well, you might think so - but several studies have shown that for the most part banner ads are totally ignored by most people. In fact a recent study showed that after seeing so many of them, the mind actually blanks them out - and the user is not even aware of them.
Something like 250 people were shown various site pages with banner ads. When asked later, something like 95% said they were not even aware the banner ad was there...
See this report also for more info [blogs.zdnet.com...]
conclusion: yah do both. and compare results. If you have to pick one due to whatever restrictions...
I'd bet you'll do much better with the flash one for your client, assuming the quality of your design work is good.
TOOO flashy is not good and what most of the haters are crying about. A lot depends on WHERE it will get distributed (ie: function of how good the affiliate sites are set up)....but generally speaking a good quality, clean and simple one can do wonders vs. an animated gif.
:)
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@ Alex and asquit...
first of all... you guys seem to forget that hughie is not here questioning about his client's wishes. He just wants to know which option to go with. The client IS always right.
Are you recommending he tell them NOT to give him and advertise? what alternative are you suggesting that would actually still keeps him in business? Just cause this is WebmasterWorld forum..doesn't mean "everything SEO all the time or die!"
Well, you might think so - but several studies have shown that for the most part banner ads are totally ignored by most people. In fact a recent study showed that after seeing so many of them, the mind actually blanks them out - and the user is not even aware of them.Something like 250 people were shown various site pages with banner ads. When asked later, something like 95% said they were not even aware the banner ad was there...
See this report also for more info [blogs.zdnet.com...]
you're kidding right?
1. I don't "think so"... I know so. I have cold hard RESULTS from my own sites to prove it. If I took the animated flash and content OFF my site I'd probably get lynched. I could go on forever about this but point is.....
how can it NOT completely depends of the market, the site and the product... and QUALITY and RELEVANCE OF THE AD?
>>>> its QUALITY, REVELANCE, POSITIONING issue, not a banner itself issue.(duh). Bad ad is a bad ad, good one is a good one. do'nt make excuses about "banner blindness" or "hate animation"2. I'm sorry, but there is nothing in that zdnet article that supports what you are saying...could you please point it out to me. (btw, I actually work in statistics as part of what I do AND with Neilson).
-- There is almost nothing you can draw conclusively from such studies without knowing exactly what the parameters of the studies were. Who was studied? What demographic? What country? What age/sex?...cause those things have massive affect on the results or how to evaluate them.
>>> know YOUR market segment
--from the article:
If it's a product associated with what they are interested in, it gets high attention...animation can repel the eye if it's not relevant to the user or if its overly complicated.um... that doesn't say "don't use animation"... is says just says: A) don't make it too complicated TEND to not be as effective something as a simple(DUH!); B) relevant banner tends to make people more interested(DUH! DUH!)
3. Am I to believe "some study" of 250 (probably caucasion, middle class, with unknown computer specs, social-economic demographic) would tell me ANYTHING about say, my Events site for highend-luxury clubs in Asia? oooooooooooooook.
>>>>> ie: CONDUCT YOUR STUDY on YOUR users...is the only sure fire way. Why do you think focus groups even exist?
Point is:
I deal many different segments for my business and each on is VERY different on their reaction to banners, animation, speed...well eVERYTHING. that's WHY they are different markets. Many of the rules just don't apply across markets...BY DEFINITION.You have to take such studies in context as such studies seem to (ERRONEOUSLY) infer way too much (over generalize) and blanket a first conclusion of just "animation is bad" and you can lose out on potential great conversions. Sure... IMPROVE your banners...but don't kill em.
But if you are dead set against em...feel free to go with "the studies". I'll stick with my actual results for my actual customers in my actual markets
....all the way to the bank.
--GrendelKhan{TSU} (pluggin away in niche markets and KOREAN internet business world)
@ Alex and asquit...first of all... you guys seem to forget that hughie is not here questioning about his client's wishes. He just wants to know which option to go with. The client IS always right.
You mean a different Alex, right?
You mean a different Alex, right?
yikes! sorry alex. I was referring to Wlauzon. ^^
apologizes :)
