Canned Banners
How do banner ads work?
If you have never advertised online with banner ads before, it can seem a little confusing. We’re here to help. First, let’s start with the basics:
What is a banner ad?
Banner ads are image-based ads that appear on websites. Just like ads in magazines or newspapers, they come in a variety of sizes. Typically, when a user clicks on your banner ad, they are taken to your website.
What are other types of banner ads?
These are the basic types of banner ads:
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Flash Banner Ads
These ads feature smooth animation and allow the user to interact with the ad by clicking, rolling over, and/or by typing on the keyboard. Flash banner ads are the type of ad you can make on Canned Banners. [example]
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Animated GIF Ads
These ads allow for some primitive animation, but no user interaction except for clicking. [example]
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Static Banner Ads
These have no animation - they are simply one still image. [example]
What is a Flash banner ad?
Flash banner ads use a combination of animation and interactivity. Viewing Flash ads is possible by installing the Flash browser plug-in which is installed on approximately 98% of computers in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Japan (click here to download the Flash browser plug-in from Adobe). Because of the smooth animation and interactivity of Flash ads, they are usually much more effective than other types of banner ads. They are better at attracting a user’s attention and retaining it for longer. The biggest downside to Flash was that, until Canned Banners, it took longer and was more expensive to design and develop Flash ads than static or animated GIF ads. But with Canned Banners, if you've got 99 bucks and 20 minutes, you can build your own professional-quality Flash banner ad! Browse our banner gallery and start building your banner!
Do all websites support Flash ads?
No. Almost all major ad networks and websites support Flash, but some websites still only support GIF or JPEG ads. Check with your ad network or media company, or check directly with the website(s) you intend to advertise on.
How do I know which sizes to buy on Canned Banners?
Check with your ad network or media company, or check directly with the website(s) you intend to advertise on. They will tell you which ad sizes they support. You should do this before making a purchase on Canned Banners – we don’t want you to buy an ad you can’t use!
In addition, most banner ads come in standard sizes. Canned Banners currently offers the most common ad sizes (width x height): 728x90 (known as “leaderboards”), 300x250 (known as “rectangles”), and 160x600 (known as “skyscrapers”)
What about rich media banner ads?
Rich media banner ads are another type of Flash banner ad. Rich media ads are usually larger in file size, and can do things like expand over the content of the page, play videos and interact with a database. Canned Banners does not currently allow you to make any rich media banner ads, but we might in the future. Let us know what you’d like to see. [Note: Some people have different definitions for the term “rich media” and it can get quite confusing. The definition we use above is the most common, but be aware you may encounter others.]
Ok, I’ve made my banner ad, now what?
Great, now that you’ve made your banner ad on Canned Banners, how do you get the world to see it? Well there’s a number of ways, let’s take a look:
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Ad Networks
One of the easiest ways to get your banner to the world is through an ad network. An ad network is basically a company that has already bought ad space on different websites and sells it that ad space to you. You tell the ad network who you want to see your ad (the “target demographic”) and how much you want to spend, and they tell you what sites and pages to run your ad on (the “media plan” or “media buy”). Sometimes this whole process takes place over the phone, or in person, or you may be able to complete the entire process online.
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Media Company
A media company performs much of the same functions of an ad network. That is, they are professionals who will put your ad where it will work best. The difference is, they typically offer a more hands-on, personalized, and strategic approach. Media Companies usually are used by big brands with big budgets. Chances are, if your business is large enough to use a Media Company, you already know what they are.
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Direct to Publishers
With this method, you determine which site(s) where you want to run your ad and contact the site(s) directly. If you find a site that you want to advertise on, look for an “advertise with us” link on their site. Each site will have their own way of working with advertisers either via email, the phone, or a web interface.
Still not sure about something? Maybe we can help.
