Banner ads can be a great way to boost your sales and brand awareness. According to a study by PwC for IAB France and the SRI, banner ads are still the most effective form of internet advertisements. Get it right and you can see an increase in sales. Get it wrong and you have just wasted your time and money.

Use these 5 tips for the effective use of banner ads:

1. Your Logo
The first thing to work on is your company logo. This logo should be on every banner to create brand awareness. Take a look at your company logo. Does it stand out? Is it noticeable? Is it memorable? Does it represent your company? If you didn’t answer “yes” to all four of these questions, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. A good logo is clean, professional looking and stands out from the rest. Because your small business logo is so important, we highly recommend that you hire a professional graphic designer to create one for you.

2. Great Layout
Take a moment and think about ads that have caught your attention lately. What did these ads have in common? They had great layouts that caught your attention. An internet banner is just like any other ad. It needs to stand out. It doesn’t matter if your ad is full of graphics or large bold text — just as long as it looks eye popping great. An ad marketing specialist and graphic artist can be of great help in this department.

3. Clear Marketing Lingo
Great logos and layouts mean nothing if your customers don’t know what your ad is selling. Make sure your banner advertisement has clear wording that describes what you are offering. It’s also important to articulate this in a short-and-sweet fashion. Generally speaking, customers will shy away from a lengthy description of your company’s products and services.

4. Proper Banner Placement
Banner placement is just as important as banner design. You wouldn’t put an ad for power tools in a beauty magazine would you? The same theory applies for internet advertising. Make sure your banners go on sites where your customers visit.

5. Change
As a best practice, switch it up and make new banners at least once a month. Do you have a new service, new product, new promotion or new product on sale? You can market this with your new banner. Keep your brand design consistent and update info/content.