The Invesp blog found that online advertising has experienced a period of rapid growth over the past few years, and is expected to have a 17 percent increase by the end of 2013. In terms of text advertisements on search engines like Google and Bing, American companies spent nearly $20 billion last year, all to help their respective websites capture the increasingly growing online audience.
Clearly, the advertising industry is rapidly evolving, and there’s no substitute for advertising that clearly communicates to Internet users. Keep reading for some strategies that work well, along with some common advertising mistakes.
Convert Web Traffic Into Leads
Often, advertisers focus on boosting their traffic level and getting a lot of unique hits, but lose sight of how to turn website visitors into new customers. Focus on high quality leads that appeal to new and relevant clients.
Start by thinking about your target audience, and consider ways to reach out to them through online advertising. Some of your strategies will probably be very similar to communication methods used in print media.
For example, if your business focuses on specialized furniture for restaurants, you likely wouldn’t run advertisements in a magazine about celebrity lifestyles. Although you might appeal to a few interested parties by choosing this route, the chances of it happening frequently enough to be profitable is simply too low.
Keep a sharp eye on the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns, too. Some may take a few months to gain momentum, but any efforts that regularly perform below your expectations should probably be retooled.
Be Flexible
While experimenting with the world of internet advertising, some companies become too reliant upon service providers who aren’t up to the task. As the need for internet advertising expertise continues to grow, the communications industry is becoming increasingly populated with people who have targeted knowledge about how to build campaigns that work.
If you’re ready to hire communications experts to supplement your own efforts, don’t be afraid to shop around, or end a business relationship if things aren’t working out. According to Nielsen Online and the International Telecommunications Union, worldwide internet usage has grown over 500% since the year 2000. This suggests that although online marketing is a targeted skill, an increasing number of professionals have had to evolve and learn the latest techniques in order to keep their careers relevant. Take time to find and work with a team that truly meet your needs, and set yourself up to get the ideal results.
Create Purposeful Messages
When dealing with the Internet, it’s tempting to get caught up in stylish communication methods that focus on flash animation, rotating images or other eye-popping techniques. These are effective to a point, but they should never outweigh the goal of saying something significant about the product or service that’s being advertised.
Aim to make your message easy to understand, and compelling. It should include a call to action, and any design choices that you make within your advertising should be universally compatible across all web browsers. User experience is compromised when graphics don’t load well, or require additional browser plug-ins to function correctly.
Whether you’re directly involved in creating online advertising campaigns for others, or are preparing to hire someone to give your company a stronger online presence, it’s often necessary to get back to basics by opting for online advertising that’s simple, yet powerful. Keep the above considerations in mind to create online ads that align with your objectives./
Author Bio
Nel Reed writes for several higher ed blogs. Interested in advertising? Several universities offer online mass communications degrees such as the University of Florida Online School of Communication
