Marketo-DG2DA

PART III: DIGITAL AD TYPES AND AD DESIGN
EFFECTIVE AD DESIGN
Use Images That
Are Worth It
While using imagery to attract
customers to your digital ads is a
must, the selected images must be
worth it. Google found that an image
load time increase from 0.4 to 0.9
seconds decreased interest and
traffic by 20%. So, first and foremost
you need to ensure that the images
used in your ads will load
immediately. Otherwise, impatience
will drive customers to ignore your
ads or click to a new page altogether.
Here are additional image guidelines
to follow, courtesy of Kissmetrics:
• High-resolution Imagery:
Use only high-resolution photos
that are properly sized. Avoid low
resolution and overstretched
photos that will have your
customers squinting or
turning away.
• People Photos:
It’s fine to include images of
people, but try to focus on just
one or two people at the most.
Injecting crowds or even just a
small group of people into your
ad can be a turn off. Why? There
can be a lack of focus, which can
overwhelm the viewer, making
the image (and your ad) less
memorable. In addition, images
of people should show them at a
comfortable distance away from
the camera; avoid super close-up
shots that will have your viewer
scrolling away.
• Stock Photography:
Avoid using stock photos that are
obviously stock photos. As much
as they try to be, your customers
don’t see these as real life
because they’re too perfect and
posed. Your customers want to
see something that’s relatable,
and as a result, they will perceive
your brand as relatable.
Therefore, include photos that
breathe a sense of reality.
• Relevance:
Images need to be relevant to the
company, to the brand, to the
message, and to the text. To
ensure relevance, make sure to
use images that either:
››
Demonstrate the messaging:
This can be either implied or
blatantly written in the text and
should help the viewer to make
a connection, or
››
Provide story appeal: Ignite
enough curiosity in the viewer
to click on the ad to obtain the
rest of the story.
Create Fallback Images
Some ad networks require that you
create and provide fallback images,
which are simplified versions of
your more complex display ad,
such as a static version. This is in
case the original ad cannot be
viewed on certain screens.
This is more than just a best
practice—it’s also a problem-solver
for your company. You wouldn’t
want to put the effort into creating
an awesome digital ad only to find
that it’s not viewable by all
audiences on all devices. With
fallback images, customers will at
least be able to see some version
of your ad and be exposed to your
company’s message.
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