After years of trial and error (mostly error) I have learned some things about what really makes a banner ad successful. So that you don't have to go through the same trial and error, here is the Graphic Guru's top ten list of banner ad commandments:

#1 - Keep file size low
Commandment number one - banners MUST load quickly. A common attitude among novice designers is that the banner is going to be on someone else's page anyways, so why worry about how large it is? Why not use as much file size as I'm allowed and make a really sharp banner? Many so called "experts" in banner design will tell you that fancy animation and attention-grabbing motion is what makes a banner great. They couldn't be further from the truth.

Studies actually indicate that static banner ads (those that don't have any animation) are usually FAR more effective than animated banners. The reason? Animation = file space. A good static banner will be 3k or less, where you'll be lucky to get an animated banner under 10k.

When a Web page loads, modern Web browsers usually start loading the banner ads up first. This is usually because they appear at the top or bottom of the page and aren't imbedded into a lot of tables. When your banner ad is 10k or more, it will load just as slowly as the rest of the page. But if your ad is very small, it will load up instantly and then be the only thing that a user sees while he/she is waiting for the rest of the page to load.

#2 - Make sure your text is easy to read
Just like any other form of advertising, it is important that people see your message. Don't try to pack too much information into your banner ads - use just enough to grab attention and get people interested. Also, don't choose font faces that are hard to read or too small.

#3 - Avoid "annoyed"
Some people seem to think that a flashing banner that gives everyone a headache is the way to go. While a banner like this will draw attention - it's not the type of attention that you want. Most people will not click on a banner that annoys them, and even fewer will buy from a company that annoys them.

Get attention through good design and by having your banner load quickly - not through headache inducing attention grabbers. Things to avoid are flashing banners, constant motion, and blinking or scrolling text. If you do choose to include animation in your banner, limit the number of times that the animation runs (as in the example above). Many sites don't allow your animations to run indefinitely.

#4 - Don't play games (don't use tricks for clicks)
Putting a bikini-clad woman on your banner might get people to click on it, but unless you're selling swimwear or something else related to the image, it won't likely help you. For years the measure of success in banner advertising was clicks - the more clicks, you get the better the ad. With this in mind banner designers were doing anything to get people to click on their banners - even if it was downright misleading.

The only problem with tricking people into clicking your ad is that you are watering down your offering. If you sell washing machines - the ones you want to click on your ad are those that are in the market for a washing machine - anyone else is irrelevant. If you trick for clicks you make it unclear what your offering is, and the real customers won't find you.

#5 - Keep it fresh
A good banner is only good for a short period of time. Many experts say that a banner starts to lose its power after 60 days. My experience is that you can get 90 days out of a really well designed ad. Keep your banners fresh by changing it every 60 - 90 days.

#6 - Be direct
When you specify the URL that you want your banner ad to go to, make sure that you link directly to the page with the offer. Few things are more annoying than clicking on a banner that is promoting some item for sale and then having to search around the Web site for it. Link directly to the item or service that your banner is advertising, and you will find that people are much more apt to buy.

#7 - Create urgency
Just as in traditional advertising, urgency is what often closes a sale. Use the word free and phrases such as limited time offer, deadline, last day, and last chance in your banners to create urgency. One word of warning though, if your banner ad specifies that an offer is for a limited time - you had better follow rule #5 and not leave it out there too long.

#8 - Use a blue border
A blue border around your banner ad makes it crystal clear to people that it is something to be clicked on. Blue borders and underlines are universally recognized among Web users to mean "here's a link, click it" - take advantage of that fact.

#9 - Use a text link below the banner
Some banner exchanges won't allow it, but if you can, use a text description below your banners. Use something simple that reinforces the offering, such as Click Here For Free Shipping! The benefit of adding the text description is two-fold: First, text loads up quickly, so in some cases the text offering will be seen right away. Second, your offer is what should attract people - the more you use it the more likely it is to get noticed.

#10 - Measure, Measure, Measure
The best thing that you can do for yourself when it comes to banner advertising is to track your results. Banners, like any other form of advertising, are a hit and miss ordeal. To find out which ones "hit" and which ones "miss" you have to track both clicks and sales on each banner.

If you find that your banners aren't getting many hits, then you know that you need to change your offering or make the banner more visible. If you are getting a lot of hits but not many added sales, then it's a good bet that your banner is misleading or confusing. In any case, you can't make it better if you don't know how it's doing.

Most banner exchange companies offer tracking statistics as part of their banner exchange package. If your banners don't include tracking... use a front door page to track the effectiveness of your banners. A front door page is simply a duplicate of your normal home page but with a different name (like frontdoor.html). When you specify a link for your banner, simply link to the front door page instead of the regular index page*. Now you can tell how many people clicked on your banner by simply using the EZ-Counters to see how many people visited your front door page.

*Note: If your banner links to a page other than your index page, this will also work if you simply duplicate and rename that page.