Web banners, also known as display ads are digital ads that are clickable, and embedded into websites to lead traffic to the advertiser’s websites. They can either be embedded manually or delivered by an ad network via a server. Ultimately, the banners have needs that have to be fulfilled, so that they can be compatible with ad serving and display.
However, for the daily social media creator or small business owner, a web banner can also refer to the personalized online banner that appears on the top of their LinkedIn profile, twitter profile, facebook page, youtube channel,etc.
Banners are known as either cover photos or header photos. Unlike ad related photo, they are more about marketing or introducing a website section as opposed to getting users to click on a digital advertisement.
Along with different goals, these two types of banners have different needs and best practices. Reviewing the essentials of these goals to know how they help an individual to create their own banners.
Banner ads
These are available in lots of shapes and sizes. The size and shape chosen by you indicates the amount and type of content to include in the banner.
Banner ad sizes
Banners can be huge and horizontal as they can be intended to be positioned at the top of a webpage. They can also be vertical as they can be used for positioning in the sidebar which is the right side of the web pages. Banners can also be smaller, horizontal rectangles which can be interspersed between the paragraphs of a content. They are also squares as they are not used as often as a lot of the other sizes. However, squares fit nicely into the correct rail. Even tiny button ads are considered banners.
It doesn’t matter what the shape of the banner is, web banner designs are usually in standard web image formats, like jpg, swf, png, gif, or html files. Maximum ad platforms such as google ads, facebook ads, instagram ads, and pinterest ads share data on what works the best for them.
Inclusions of a banner ad
Along with size, there are a lot of variations of a banner ad. For example, the banner includes images or static graphs, a GIF or video, which can be coloured black and white. But, nearly each banner ad must include the following things-
- The user’s business name or logo- It includes the branding of the user which assists with brand awareness, and it also helps the viewers to know who is marketing to them.
- Call to action or CTA- Never depend on the users to always keep track of ways to interact with your web content. You will get more traction in informing them on what to do, even if it is a simple “click here” or start your free trial.
- Visual appeal- The user will have a lot less time to build an impression and a small amount of space in how to do it. Also, the user will see your ad on their mobile device. Ensure that your web banner is clear, easily readable and attention grabbing. This means that the banner should be kept simple with fonts, images, graphics and color.
Banner ad examples
Searching for some banner ad design ideas? Below are a few banner ad examples in a variety of sizes, square, vertical and horizontal. They can either be used for inspiration or be customized to create your own.
Header web banner
A header banner is the largest marketing opportunity for the user’s page as it is the first thing that is seen by the people when they visit the website. Whether you are building it for social media or an online shop, it is usually a huge billboard for announcing who you are and what you are about.
The user’s banner sets forth their brand identity and personality which is the primary aim.
Header banner sizes
While sizes might vary between different social media and other online platforms, the landscape shape is the standard for such types of banners. Also, some don’t need the same level of precision that ad banners do. For instance, facebook and twitter cover photos that are 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall in length. On the other hand, the LinkedIN cover page is 1128 pages in width and 191 pixels in length.
The inclusions of a web banner header
As the header is an digital marketing opportunity, it should be utilized to communicate the brand or its offerings, etc in case of a website landing page, its aesthetics and its theme section should be in question.
While there is abundant flexibility regarding what can be included in a banner, here are some components the user might want to include in their web banner design. It should be kept in mind that what works best is dependent on the platform it will be visible on and what the user wants to convey.
It can include-
- On brand high quality photos- It ranges from a single close up to a grid of thumbnail photos or graphics.
- Bright colours
- Timely updates
Ensure that the user keeps it clean and easily viewable and also remembers to keep its computer readability well on a smartphone as well.
Also, if the banner is to be used for a profile that also involves a display picture, ensure that both of them work well together.
How to create a banner in 4 easy steps
- Firstly, sign in to a free or premium banner creator.
- Then, begin from scratch and opt for a template.
- Customize the banner.
- Download the banner.
Banner design ideas
There are tons of banner ideas that can be generated either via customization or created via taking inspiration from already made templates.
These can include banners made for youtube, facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc and other social media platforms.