how to create online ads that people don’t hate breakfast briefing

How to Create Online Ads That People Don’t Hate

Trent Mankelow with Mike Pethig

Support the visitor’s goals

“I would have expected a link down the bottom to go to a website to go and buy the album.”

“I would have expected a link down the bottom to go to a website to go and buy the album.”

Support the visitor’s goals

Interactive ads

Text links vs. Graphic adverts

We are attracted to:1. People and faces2. Movement3. Familiarity4. Brightness5. High contrast6. Vivid colour7. Strong pattern

Text links vs. Graphic adverts

Text links vs. Graphic adverts

• A 2004 study showed that text ads were viewed by more participants and for longer than graphical ads

Text ads done right

Position links to the right of the editorial

Don’t use a border to separate text ads & editorial

Use dark text on light non-patterned background

Consider word shape

• ALL CAPS REDUCES READING SPEED BY 13%

• Underlining also reduces legibility

Creative is everything

Creative is everything

Use common, imageable words in your ads

• Low frequency words are harder and slower to comprehend than high frequency, familiar words– Low frequency words: abode, processor, livid– High frequency words: house, computer,

angry

• Highly imageable words were perceived more quickly and accurately than low imageable words– High imageability words: lamp, cloud– Low imageability words: fact, liberty

Putting it all together

The future of online advertising

Questions?

Trent MankelowOptimal Usabilitytrent@optimalusability.com

Mike PethigAd Protocolmike@adprotocol.co.nz