Banner Design Dos & Don'ts

A N I M A T I O N

DO Use Animation
If your host site allows, using motion in the banner can be a really effective way to draw users' attention, greatly increase CTR, and help you communicate an idea that would otherwise require more words. But remember, you want to attract visitors, not irritate them. Keep the animation simple or keep the motion constrained to a small portion of the banner. And keep the file size low.

One caveat to using an animated banner ... if the host site is cluttered with animations, you will likely get better results if your banner provides a resting place for the eye. Make it as simple as possible or opt for a static banner.

DO Be Careful With Timing
On animated banners, keep the playing time between three and five seconds. Try to strike a perfect balance between too long (which risks losing the viewer's interest) and too short (which might prevent the viewer from getting the entire message).

DON'T Delay All Frames The Same
If your optimized banner includes more than five frames and still meets the file size limit, vary rhythm or cadence to help hold the viewer's attention.

DON'T Stall Too Long
The only frame that should ever hold for more than two seconds is the last frame, which you might want to rest on before looping back to the first frame.

DO Watch Key Frames
On some host sites, an endlessly looping animation will irritate the eye, so consider looping 7-10 times and stopping on the last frame. Conversely, some viewers will stop a web page from loading, leaving only the first frame. So you may want to be sure your message comes across on the first and last frames.