Banner Advertising

As technology and advertising campaigns continue to evolve, so do Web Banners. Online Banner Ads are largely distinguished based on their functions and sizing.

Banner Ads by Function:

Static Banners – remain motionless, unchanging and still until the visitor leaves the web page. These banners are not as appealing as animated banners but are much smaller in size.

Animated Banners – incorporate movement usually in GIF format. They attract a higher click through rate than static Banner Ads. Multiple images (frames) are collected in one file and shown in a specific order.  The animation may either stop after the cycle is completed, or sometimes it can continue by looping the file. More information can be displayed since the advertiser can show several frames with varying data. Four frames are the recommended maximum to limit load time. A shorter load time also means viewers will have a chance to see the ad before scrolling or browsing.

Rotating Banners – alternate between different web pages within a website. Used frequently by highly trafficked sites, rotation gives the publisher more impressions to sell. A rotation can be set up to take effect every 15 to 30 seconds. A visitor might therefore be exposed to several different Ads while remaining on the same page. In many ways these banners make sites look appealing displaying fresh content on each page load.

Scrolling Banners – Advertisements are scrolled through the Banner Space, just like a modern billboard.  These types of Ads may be either text or image. The scroll usually takes place every 10 to 30 seconds.

Pop-Up Banners – are displayed in a new web browser window usually fixed to a specific size. They are usually generated by JavaScript. Often they look like ordinary web pages. The idea is not to disrupt the page currently open although some banners are made to do this.

Pop-Under Banners – also open in a new browser window but are hidden under/behind the active window. They are often not seen until the current window is closed, making it t hard to determine which website they came from. These types of banner ads are generally considered irritating.

Drop-down Menu Banners – contain HTML (hypertext markup language) code for a drop-down menu. They enable viewers to choose which page or website to visit before clicking through. Advertisers can use these Banners to join campaigns and thereby lower serving costs. It’s also handy for the viewer, who can choose where to go, rather than clicking through and navigating the website if the landing page is unsatisfactory to their needs.

Interstitials – as the destination page loads, these Banners are opened up in a new browser window. They will often contain large images, a streaming presentation and extra applets enhancing the use of display, graphics and even human interaction.

Rich Media Banner Ads – combine sound with animation using Java, Flash or Shockwave. Shockwave and Flash are faster to load and accordingly are more ideal to use, since there is more opportunity for viewers to see the Ads. Whilst Java is more innovative, the extended loading time deters advertisers from using it.

Floating Banners – after a viewer first lands on the page, these Ads float on or around the page for up to 30 seconds or more. These banner may move over a desired mouse click location hindering accessibility on the page. They have a high click-through rate; however, this feature is seen as irritating by others because they obscure the page.

Corner Peel Banner – also known as Peel Banners, Page Peels or Magic Corners, these are displayed in the corner of a web page. The animation peels over the web page, displaying the whole ad, once the user moves the mouse over the animation peel in the top corner (usually the right). These types of banner ads are not considered annoying to most viewers.

Unicast Advertisement – usually run in a pop-up window playing a video like a television commercial, up to 30 seconds. These often times generate a high CTR or Click Thru Rate.

Pushdown – expand to almost a full screen upon loading a page. Some publishers require the Ad to collapse after a certain time (usually 7 to 10 seconds). The viewer may then click to re-expand the Banner and read the contents. Others allow the advertiser to keep their Ad expanded, requiring the viewer to click to collapse it. A non-collapsing pushdown is often limited to one user impression per day.

Fixed Panel Banner – appears set in the browser. The panel (measuring 336 x 860 pixels) rolls to the top and bottom of the page as the user scrolls up and down.

XXL Box Banner – a colossal sized (468 x 648 pixels or more) Banner used by prominent advertisers for brand effectiveness. These massive advertisements can comprise several pages and video.

Standard Banner Sizes

Banners can be made to any size, depending on what the publisher (site owner) and the advertiser agree upon. To streamline the online advertising process, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has set down some guidelines. These ad unit guidelines are voluntary and are used by many ad networks.

Below are the standard IAB Banner Ad Sizes (called the Ad Unit Guidelines):

(view some examples)

Rectangles and Pop-Ups

Banner Type – Size (pixels)	Recommended Size
Medium Rectangle  – 300 x 250	40k
Square Pop-Up – 250 x 250	40k
Vertical Rectangle – 240 x 400	40k
Large Rectangle – 336 x 280	40k
Rectangle – 180 x 150	40k
3:1 Rectangle – 300×100	40k
Pop-Under – 720×300	40k

Banners and Buttons

Full Banner – 468 x 60	40k
Half Banner – 234 x 60	30k
Micro Bar – 88 x 31	10k
Button 1 – 120 x 90	20k
Button 2 – 120 x 60	20k
Vertical Banner – 120 x 240	30k
Square Button – 125 x 125	30k
Leaderboard – 728 x 90	40k

Skyscrapers

Wide Skyscraper – 160 x 600	40k
Skyscraper – 120 x 600	40k
Half Page Ad – 300 x 600	40k

The recommended animation length (including multiple loops) is 15 seconds for each of the above Banner Ads.