Online advertisements can produce conflicted reactions. Most find them to be bothersome, but they can be helpful. Either way, they’re essential to the Internet and to businesses. As we progress from traditional billboards, online ads can get really creative. There are at least 10 types of ads: pop-up, sidebar, mobile, e-mail, and many more. So, why do we see them everywhere, and how do they seem to know what you like?
The biggest and most obvious reason is that companies pay to advertise outside of their own website. They will usually advertise on related sites and on pages that their audience frequently visits using SEO and third-party vendors. The advertiser will pay an ad creator and the website that they wish to advertise on. The more they pay, the longer the ad will stay up.
Types of online ads
There are several purposes to an advertisement. They’re all meant to raise awareness, but in different ways. Aside from promoting their website, some ads are meant raise awareness on an issue, such as the presidential race or global warming. These types of ads often show up on social media sites, where it can be widely circulated. Awareness ads can also be found in e-mails, such as political campaigns.
Other common online advertisements are trying to recruit people to sign up for their newsletter. These often appear in the form of a pop-up ad, enticing the reader to join the newsletter by offering them a deal. By signing up for the newsletter, companies can keep up with their customer database and promote sales. That’s why when you first go to a site, the first thing you see is a pop-up ad. They want to keep you coming back!
If you’ve always wondered why you see the same ads of a specific item you like, it’s because your smart device pays attention to your browsing history. It keeps track of how long you spend looking at something, if you scroll back, what you click on. Knowing that you are definitely interested in this certain item or service, it will keep re-appearing either until you give in or ignore it long enough. Using this algorithm, websites then use this information to tempt you with tailor-made ads. Fact- every 4th post on Facebook is an advertisement. These are also most common on social media sites, but they can be found anywhere in the sidebar.
E-mail ads are quite common as well. They go into more detail on what they’re advertising and why. They tend to focus on promoting a deal, bringing news about the company, or campaigning for a cause. They’re also more personal, such as addressing you by name and using keyphrases to entice a reaction out of you.
In conclusion
Be careful with online ads, though. As we mentioned in our previous blog, some ads pop up to harm your computer or mobile device with viruses. Be cautious of ads claiming you’ve won a free valuable item or those that ask for personal information, like your credit card number. These are also commonly pop-up ads, making it impossible to avoid. Other than that, advertisements are simply meant to promote an agenda, sell product/service, or just to recruit more subscribers.
Need help with advertising? Contact Redwood Creative today!
Tracy is the Design Manager here at Redwood Creative. She’s been designing amazing graphics and web layouts for large and small businesses for upwards of 7 years.
