Monday, May 25, 2015

Design Your Banner Online

There are a surprising number of options out there for online banner ad creation.


Banner ads can be a powerful resource for your business, generating leads and directing potential customers right to your website.


If you don't have a banner ad for your business but need one in minutes, you're in luck, as there are a surprising number of options out there for online banner creation. Keep in mind that online sites for online banner ad creation tend to offer you the fastest and most ready-made approaches to your banner ad--not the most unique or creative. They're simply designed to get your ad up and running in minutes. However, on the plus side, they're easy to accomplish, and give you a great-looking banner ad faster than you can brew a cup of coffee!


Instructions


Creating Your Online Banner Ad


1. A reputable search engine can help you find a suitable banner creation site.


Use a reputable search engine to locate one of the many online banner creation tools available to users today, and click to navigate to the site.


Be sure to have your favorite antivirus software enabled, and only choose "green", or safe, sites from which to create your online banner.


2. Once the banner creation site of your choice has loaded, select the ready-made template or background that most fits with your idea of what your banner ad should look like. Most banner creation sites offer up to 20 options or more for backgrounds, in vibrant colors and utilizing engaging graphical elements.


3. Your banner headline should incorporate a powerful call to action in your message.


When prompted, enter your banner headline. This should be succinct and ideally no more than five or six words. Use powerful "action" words and phrases--remember that you're trying to generate interest and action in your viewer, as well as curiosity.


4. Keep in mind that sans-serif fonts are easier to read and tend to be 'cleaner" than serifed fonts.


Choose your headline's desired font, color, size, and position.


Keep in mind that sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Humanist are generally best in banner ads, as the fonts have a cleaner look and are easier to read from afar. "Curly" or serifed fonts can often look cluttered and difficult to read, especially in small spaces.


Also, make sure you choose font colors that stand out vibrantly against your ad's background--you want to be seen, and noticed!


5. Enter your secondary text (usually your website), along with desired font size, color and position.


6. Upload your company logo, preferably in PNG format and in a fairly small file size.


If given the option, upload your company logo as a third visual component of your ad. You'll want to use a fairly small file size, but one that is at least 200 dpi. (Wherever possible, provide your logo in PNG format, as it offers less file degradation than JPG.)


7. Preview your banner ad online. Review it carefully to ensure that there are no misspelled words or typos in your ad copy, and that your logo or URL is clearly visible and shows up properly and without missing elements.


8. Your finished banner as an animated "GIF" file should already be the standard 468x60 banner size.


Download your finished banner to your computer as an animated "GIF" file. The GIF you receive should already be the standard banner size of 468 x 60, with file size at or around 25-35 KB (kilobytes) at most.


9. Archive the file, then upload your finished banner as needed to your advertising contacts or banner exchange network to put it into immediate use. You've completed a major step toward promoting your brand successfully online.