Least effective methods of online advertising

Online advertising felt the bite this year, with spending dropping in most areas. When budgets drop, it's even more important to spend limited dollars where you'll get the best return on investment. Below are a few of the least effective methods of online advertising.

These recommendations are based on best practices and current research. However, guidelines can't substitute for identifying and understanding your specific audience. Once you understand why the users are on your site and what they want to do there, you can provide better service and relevant, successful advertising that helps support your site.

Find out more about Interface Guru's user profiles and personas.

SIMPLE FLASH

Ads that use Simple Flash prove to be ineffective at driving purchase intent. A better choice is using rich media with video, which consistently ranks among the most successful methods at driving purchase intent. Above: Several simple Flash ads within the same page.

AD AS FRAME

Users have trained themselves to ignore ubiquitous ad types that frame content (banner ads, skyscrapers) - especially if they're animated. Above: A re-sized browser window would allow user to completely ignore the framing ads.

DELAYED BRANDING

Don't make users wait for it... they won't. You have mere seconds to resonate with the user, your message should be clear all the time. Don't play hard to get, hiding your brand and message until the end of the ad. Above: Company name is invisible throughout more than half of the 10 second ad.

Here are a few more resources to find out more about effective advertising:
• Google Analyzes Rich Media Ad Effectiveness (WebProNews)
• Online Advertising Spending Expected to Be Down for 2009 (AdAge and eMarketer)
• Video In Rich Media Ads More Likely To Lead Customers To Purchase (MediaPost)