Display advertising is a great way for small businesses to connect with their prospective customers, but like most advertising formats, it has its pros and cons.
Read on to learn more about its strengths and weaknesses before creating a display campaign of your own.
This blog will cover the following:
- What is display advertising?
- The advantages of display advertising
- The disadvantages of display advertising
- Display ad’s best practices
Let’s begin with a brief explanation before we explore the advantages and disadvantages.
State of Digital Marketing Report 2024
Exclusive insights and data from the marketing strategies of over 500+ UK business
What is display advertising?
Display advertising is a form of online advertising that entails running graphic based/visual adverts that appear on websites and often contain a call to action (CTA).
Almost all websites that consumers visit contain display ads. However, they can also be found on mobile apps and social media platforms, as they help promote businesses wherever customers go.
The advantages of display advertising
The importance of display advertising cannot be overstated. Why? Because display advertising offers exceptional advantages for your business.
Here are just some of those benefits:
1. Display ads have exception reach
Display advertising has great potential, as evidenced by the fact that Google Display Network alone covers 90% of all internet users. The reach that display advertising has is comparable to that of a few other mediums. This makes it one of the most widely used strategies in digital marketing.
Google however is not the online one. Many national publishers will also have their own display networks, including Newsquest, that will offer the opportunity to reach local consumers online.
2. Display ads are eye-catching
One of the main benefits of display advertising is that they can be created and designed to reflect your business. Using images, video, audio, and your brand identity can help you stand out from the crowd, get consumers’ attention, and effectively get your point across when employing digital display advertising!
3. Display ads raise brand awareness
Display advertising enables your business to reach customers before they require a particular product or service from you. Since they’ve seen your name online frequently, you have a better chance of being the business they think of by the time they need what your company provides.
4. Display ads have numerous targeting options available
Display advertising technology enables advertisers to target particular individuals with their ads. This has turned out to be a game-changer in the digital space and is why so many businesses are drawn to this kind of advertising.
The following are some examples of the various targeting options available to you:
- Contextual targeting
This choice requires focusing on your customer’s search engine behaviour and past searches. You may increase your chances of converting by showing your ads to people searching for relevant terms using contextual targeting.
- Placement targeting
With placement targeting, you can specify which websites you want to see your adverts on. Although you are free to choose which websites Google adverts appear on, having the ability to block or even favourite specific websites is useful! You’ll be able to decide whether to include or exclude them from your follow-up campaigns in this manner.
- Demographic targeting
Because most businesses cater to specific target markets and age groups, this choice may be the most practical. Advertisers can limit the distribution of their display ads using this type of targeting to only those individuals who satisfy certain requirements, e.g., age, gender, location, interests, etc.
This enables businesses to deliver their advertisements exclusively to those that closely resemble their target persona, maximising the efficacy of their advertising spending.
- Behavioural targeting
This form of targeting shows ads to users who have interests that are relevant to them based on their search history and online activity. It places advertisements in front of consumers who are most likely to make a purchase, therefore, behavioural targeting has become one of the most popular targeting strategies.
You can read more about the different types of display advertising targeting and formats here: What Are the Different Types of Display Advertising Formats?
5. Display ads can reach mobile consumers
Another useful display advertising strategy is geofencing. You can target consumers with high purchase intent who are already out shopping by delivering advertisements to mobile devices based on a consumer’s current location. With the use of geofencing, you can create a fictitious border around a physical location, such as the headquarters of your business or one of your competitors.
From there you can send mobile users who visit that area with their device geofencing adverts in the form of offers and bargains. With the aid of geofencing, you can draw in nearby potential new customers who might be looking for what you have to offer or attract returning customers with a timely promotion.
6. Display ads effectiveness can be easily measured
Measuring your marketing effectiveness will help you identify strategies that are effective in expanding your business. You can monitor how often your ads are viewed and how many people click on them when using display advertising. The number of impressions your adverts receive will be your primary success statistic to take into account since display advertising is largely a brand awareness-building marketing technique.
In addition to the advantages, display advertising can also present some disadvantages. Let’s take a look at these in more detail:
The disadvantages of display advertising
1. Low conversion rates
Display adverts have lower conversion rates than search advertising does. This should not be a surprise since search advertisements are created for leads with a desire to make a purchase, whereas display ads generate awareness and enable businesses to generate greater interest in a product. Therefore, display ads might not be the greatest option if your goal is to increase sales.
2. Failure to control reputation
Since you don’t have a lot of control over which platforms your ads run on, they may occasionally be irrelevant to your industry, which also means you’ll get charged regardless. Additionally, advertising on irrelevant websites can harm your reputation if your business is well-known and respected.
3. Banner oblivion
Internet users can combat ad fatigue and information overload by becoming blind to banners. Particularly when they are created as distinct blocks that catch the eye, consumers subconsciously ignore advertising.
Tip: Use rich media to help draw visitors’ attention to your display ad so that they stand out!
4. Advert blockers
Due to ad fatigue, more consumers are utilising ad-blocking solutions every day. Some businesses, however, make an effort to mitigate this bad effect by asking website visitors to accept adverts or purchase subscriptions.
Now you can decide what type of ad is best for your business by weighing all the advantages and disadvantages.
Display ad’s best practices
The efficiency of display ads depends on the design, just like it does with all other types of marketing. Here are some suggestions to keep you on course.
- Be mindful of your audience’s experience
Avoid pop-ups, auto-playing videos, and other adverts that your viewers can’t easily skip. These methods will make people notice you, but not in the way you want. Instead, use static advertisements that can be positioned next to, within, or in the site’s body copy.
Make sure your ad takes up no more than a third of the screen as a general guideline. If there is a lot of advertising present, it may annoy viewers by preventing them from seeing content, especially if they are using mobile devices.
- Keep it simple
The narrative behind your business is essential but display ads might occasionally be too brief to cover all of the details. Keep things straightforward and limit your copy to just a few essential ideas if you don’t want to mislead your readers.
- Prioritise quality
Since you are only including the essentials, double-check that everything is in order. Make sure your images are clear and your type is readable to set your business apart from the competition.
Remember: Double-check your images by viewing each one after you’ve exported them!
- Include a call to action
The call to action (CTA) is the most important component of your display ad. A compelling CTA will persuade visitors to click on the home page of your website, a particular product page, or a limited-time offer.
Creating a call to action that says something like “click here” or “continue” may be tempting but being more explicit will improve its efficacy.
You can enhance your marketing’s effectiveness when you use display advertising in conjunction with other efforts as part of a wider strategy. The power of display advertising can be seen at all stages of the customer journey, from raising general awareness early on to tempting repeat customers with targeted deals and offers.
Please reach out to us if you need any further assistance or information regarding display ads.
State of Digital Marketing Report 2024
Exclusive insights and data from the marketing strategies of over 500+ UK business
