Advertising techniques affect web traffic, and past research in the advertising industry has shown that website visitors detest advertisements that attempt to grab their attention by interrupting their online activities. Advertising techniques picked from any web user's hate list would show the following in decreasing order:
- Advertisements that pop up in front of the browser window.
- Slow-loading ad windows.
- Advertisements that trick viewers into clicking on them.
- Absence of a "close window" button.
- Advertisements that cover and block what the web user wants to see.
- Advertisements that are vague about their message.
- Advertisements that occupy most of the page.
- Advertisements that blink on and off.
- Advertisements that float across the screen.
- Advertisements that automatically play sound.
- Advertisements that take the web-user to a window of "no return," grabbing the return button on the browser.
Advertising Techniques That Work
Research shows that very few web users actually like advertisements. However, some advertising techniques are viewed more positively than others. Advertising techniques that work better with web users include:
- Advertisements relating to online societies and trends.
- Advertisements that are truthful.
- Advertisements that are informative and lucid.
- Advertisements that provide additional information without leading the web-user to another page.
- Advertisements that clearly indicate the consequences of clicking on them.
- Fast-loading advertisements using rich media that do not block viewing of page content.
- Unobtrusive keyword optimization of content.
