Because the internet can reach people across the country and around the world, many people overlook it for reaching their own backyard. But more and more local businesses – from restaurants to travel agencies to local stores – are discovering easy ways to advertise online to just the areas they serve.

What are their secrets? Here are 4 helpful tips to get you started with low-cost, high-impact banner advertising for your local business:

1. Think local

Is there a popular website for your city, state, or region? Attract people who live in your hometown and visitors to your area by advertising on local websites. Because they serve a smaller audience, many local websites offer affordable rates for banner advertising.

Check out this list of local newspaper websites for ideas on where to place your banner ads.

2. Put local pride in your banner ads

If you serve a certain area, make it known in your banner ad to get more clicks. Many people like doing business with someone local. You’ll catch their eye by mentioning their hometown (“Best Jeweler in Dallas”) over a more generic ad (“Best Jeweler in Town”). Ask your banner ad designer to include this text in your ad.

And, you’ll reduce the number of clicks from people who you don’t serve. If you’re paying for your banner advertising on a CPC (cost per click) basis, this can save you money.

3. Try ShopLocal

ShopLocal is a company that allows you to target your advertising to just the customers you care about. You can advertise in a specific geographic location and by demographics and categories that match your business such as apparel, electronics, travel, and many more.

Sites like this show that it’s possible to drive more traffic online can turn into more foot traffic in your local store. According to ShopLocal, 56% of visitors bought the item(s) they saw on ShopLocal.com at the store.

4. Make Your Banner Ad a Coupon

People love discounts and smart shoppers seek out coupons whether they’re offline or online. Make your local business stand out by making your display ad look like a coupon you might find in the newspaper – dotted lines around it and all. And make sure to have the special offer – “30% Off”, “Buy One, Get One Free”, “Free Car Wash”, etc. – written in large bold letters.

Instead of clipping out this coupon, people will click your banner ad to arrive at your website where you’ll have a version of the coupon that they can print and bring to your shop or restaurant. Make sure to put directions to your local store near the website coupon so people know how to find you.

Use these tips today and start turning online shoppers into real-world customers in your local business. Don’t have a banner ad? Order the web ads you’ll need to advertise online from adcherry’s banner ad design service. We’ll create a custom-made banner ad just for you at budget-friendly prices.

Just like a newspaper, the first thing someone will see in your banner ad is the headline. You need to pack as much punch in that short phrase as possible.

Basically, the fewer words, the better. Make it clear and compelling. If you try to be too clever, you risk confusing the reader, who may only be looking at your banner for a moment.

Writing a headline can be tough, so don’t just write one. Try many different headlines until you find the one that’s right. Ask a friend or coworker to read your ideas and help you pick one that stands out.

Give your customers a reason to click on your banner ad and they will. Follow our advice to write a headline that makes people sit up and notice you.

What’s holding you back from getting all the traffic and sales you deserve? Discover how to breakthrough in our new ebook, “Quick & Easy Banner Advertising”. Learn the secrets to writing headlines that sell and getting real results from banner ads (even on a tight budget). Order now risk-free

The right banner ad designer can do more than create you a great online ad. Your designer can give you a tool to drive more traffic to your website and boost your sales.

But how do you find the best banner ad designer for you? You have many individuals and design companies to choose from. You want to get your web ad quickly, without hassle, and at a fair price. You do not want sloppy work and excuses.

To help you find the right online ad designer for you, here are some important things to look for:

• Cost: Does the banner ad designer bill you by the hour? It is important to look not only at the initial design cost but also the price for revisions and changes to your ad. Or, does the design service offer a flat fee for all their work?
• Convenience: How easy is it for you to order your ad? Is it easy to ask for changes to your design? The option of ordering online and communicating with your designer online can save you time, while others look for face-to-face contact.
• Turnaround time: How many days will it be before you receive your banner ad? Do they offer a rush service if you need faster delivery? The faster you receive your ad, the sooner you can start using it to drive more people to your website. Time really is money.
• Quality: Look at the banner ad portfolio of the designer or design service – it is one of the most important parts of choosing where to buy your display ads. Are their designs professional looking? Have they created online ads for websites or businesses like yours? Experience matters so carefully look at their past work.

With this checklist, you now know what to look for to find the best banner ad designer. Put it to use today and find the designer who can help you get all of the traffic and all the sales you deserve.

adcherry’s banner ad design service is the easiest way for you to get online ads that get results. Our team of professional designers create animated or Flash banner ads that help you get all the traffic and sales you deserve. We make it easy because you can order online. And, you’ll save money because we don’t charge by the hour. Order now and get up to 5 revisions free.

Everyone wants more clicks on their banner ads, but few people realize the one thing that you must do before anyone will notice you. Take this one basic step in each of your banner ads and you can start boosting your website traffic and increasing your sales – starting today.

What is this one building block for more banner ad clicks? Trust. Your audience must first trust you before they click your online ad or buy from you. The easiest way to show you are trustworthy is with a banner ad that’s been professionally designed.

Shoddy display ads make your customers think your business is shoddy, too. Shaking, flashing, or deceptive ads cause people to ignore what you say and look elsewhere on the web page. Your competition likely has slick ads (especially if they are a much larger company than yours) and your customers will expect a professional look.

Your banner ad is the first thing a potential customer will see of yours, so take the time to find a professional banner ad designer or online banner ad design service such as adcherry. An experienced designer can give your ad the polish it needs to make your small business look much larger and your website look trustworthy.

Also, ask yourself these four important questions to see if your display ads are building trust:

• Does your display ad have a professional, confident look?
• Does your company or website name appear in the ad?
• Are you using tricks or deception to get people to click your banner ad?
• Is there a picture of your product or your company/website logo?

Your banner ad designer can help you overcome these challenges. That is another reason why it pays to find the right design service. They will create a polished design that makes you look trustworthy and help you stand out from the pack.

What is CPM pricing for banner ads?

CPM stands for cost per thousand impressions. (Why the “M”, you ask? It stands for one thousand in roman numerals, an oddly low-tech choice for the hi-tech online advertising industry.) CPM means that you are paying a certain amount to have your banner ad displayed one thousand times.

CPM is the most common way that websites and ad networks (companies that sell banner advertising on behalf of a group of websites) sell banner ad space to advertisers like you. While it’s a fairly straightforward way to purchase online advertising, CPM means that your web ad is shown but not necessarily clicked on.

What is CPC pricing for banner ads?

Some ad networks are now beginning of offer CPC pricing, which stands for cost per click. So, you only pay when someone clicks on your banner ad. If your banner ad is displayed but not clicked on, that impression is free to you.

When you buy banner advertising that is priced on a CPC basis, you know that your money is being spent on performance. It’s similar to the text ads you may be running on Google AdWords – you pay each time your ad is clicked.

You can find online ad networks that offer CPM or CPC pricing in our list of suggested places to advertise.

Is CPM or CPC better?

One way of paying for banner ads is not always better than the other. CPM makes sense for some advertisers and CPC is more effective for others. Some websites and ad networks only offer one or the other, so if you feel that is a good place to use your banner ads, it might be worth it regardless.

Especially if you have a tight budget and are looking to save money, the CPC option means you only pay for performance. You can avoid wasted spend and make sure your display ads are getting results.

It’s just another example of how learning a little online marketing lingo can save you money.

We’re creating new products and services to help you get more traffic, more sales, and more success. Let us know how we can tailor them to meet your needs.

What can we do to make banner advertising easier for you? Please take our survey today – it’s only 5 easy questions – and we’ll keep working hard for you.

But how do you get started with blog banner ads? We’ll show you 3 easy shortcuts to finding the perfect locations for your display ads without sending hours researching every blog out there.

First, you’ll need some banner ads. you can use adcherry’s self-serve banner ad maker to create ads in the 7 sizes most common to blogs and other websites. Or, to have one of our banner ad designers create a blog banner ad for you.

A tip: because many blogs focus intensely on one topic, you can boost the clicks your banner ad gets if you make sure it’s highly relevant to that community of readers. So, be specific. Show in your headline and the pictures you choose for your display ad exactly how you can help the particular audience of that blog.

Now, it’s time to find the best blogs for your banner ad. Here are 3 ideas to help you with banner ads for blogs:

• BlogAds - Advertise on blogs that cater a niche or wide audience. Use their DIY tool to choose from over 2000 blogs and place your order. Visit BlogAds
• Federated Media – Place your banner ad on any of the blogs they represent. Federated Media’s network reaches over 50 million people each month. Visit Federated Media
• BuySellAds – A redesigned search page makes it easy to find the small to medium blogs you want to advertise on. You can also buy blog advertising right from the site. Visit BuySellAds

Blog advertising is here to stay. It can be an great way for you to connect with your next new customer. Give it a try today and leave a comment with your ideas for successful blog ads.

Send us one of your banner ads and we’ll choose some to be featured on this blog. If you’re chosen, we’ll write 5 tips to improve your ad and post them on this blog along with your banner ad, company/website name, and a link to your website. It’s a great way to get some valuable advice on how to improve your banner ad – and it’s free.

Slots are limited so email makeover@adcherry.com today and make sure to attach your banner ad.

If you’re looking to improve your banner ad, this is your opportunity to learn exactly what you should do. A better banner ad can help you get more traffic your website, but it can be tough to know how to set yourself apart. Learn some simple tips that can take your banner ad from being ignored to being a stand out.

Slots are limited, so email us now to be considered. Just write to us at makeover@adcherry.com and make sure to attach one of your banner ads plus your website address (URL). We’ll let you know if you’re chosen to have your banner ad featured for a makeover!

Don’t let this happen to you – learn the four top reasons people don’t click  your banner ad and what you can do today to fix it.

Reason #1: You’re hiding

People won’t click on what they can’t see. So, even if you have the world’s best display ad, it is just as important to spend time choosing good places to use it online.

Is your banner “below the fold”, meaning that people have to scroll down the website just to see it? Or maybe you’re advertising on a website with too many other display ads on it, so you are fighting for the attention of potential customers.

To help you choose a website that can help your online ad stand out and get clicks, ask the website owner where on the page your ad will appear and the number of banner ads around it.

Reason #2: You’re not giving people a reason to trust you

Some people think that banner ads are just about getting people’s attention by any means possible. Unfortunately, this has led to shaking, flashing, and fraudulent ads. But banner ad clicks don’t follow.

Web users have responded by looking at all display ads with a critical eye — including yours. So, make sure your ad has a professional look because it could be the very first thing a potential customer sees of yours. A simple, polished ad made by a professional online ad designer will earn people’s trust and will earn you new customers.

Reason #3: You’re not cutting to the chase

If you have an animated banner ad, web surfers may only hang around long enough to see part of it. So, if you make people wait a while to get to the point of the ad, people could miss it.

This doesn’t mean you should avoid all animated banner ads, because they can be used effectively to drive traffic. Try to have each frame of your ad show something meaningful, whether it’s a photo of your new product or a compelling headline.

Reason #4: You’re not giving people a reason to click

When you place a banner ad in front of someone, you’re asking them (nicely) to leave what they’re doing and come visit you. To do this, it helps to give them a compelling reason for them to click. Make their decision easy – announce a new product, a special sale, or a free giveaway to drive more people to your website. Go the extra mile to stand out and get more clicks.

Now that you know the top for reasons people don’t click on your banner ad, take action! Many of your competitors are still making these mistakes, giving you the perfect opportunity to make banner ads that get noticed, win new customers, and boost your sales. Start by letting our banner ad designers make a hard-hitting banner ad for you.

Your goal is to find out where your customers spend time online, giving you a better chance to convert them into buyers. So, you need to stay laser focused on your audience.

Especially if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on buying advertising online, make sure  that your ads are reaching the right audience. It’s likely that most of your sales come from a specific type of person – it could be women, people in your state,  people interested in education, etc.

There are websites or ad networks (groups of many websites) online today that reach each of these audiences and many more. There are two strategies you can take:

Option 1. Use a large ad network and focus like a laser

The advantage of placing your banner ads on a large ad network such as AdBrite, Google AdSense, Adroll, and others is that you can reach almost anyone who want online. But you’ll need to be careful to target only those people who care about so you don’t waste your money on people who are not interested in what you offer.

Thankfully, many ad networks make it easy for you to choose the type of websites or audiences you want to reach. Test several alternatives to see which works best for you.

Option 2. Use a highly targeted ad network to just reach your audience

There are literally hundreds of ad networks out there, and many of them specialize in specific audiences. Find the most targeted destinations you can for your ads to increase sales and reduce wasted spend.

With so many options for online ad networks available, it helps to shop around. Each allows you to place your banner ad across a different network of websites. Find the one that allows you to reach the audience you want while minimizing wasted spend on people who are not in your target audience.

The choice of which strategy to use for your banner ads is yours. If you’re looking to get started with ad networks fast, you might try a large network because many allow you to buy banner ad placements yourself easily. It will take some more time to find targeted online networks, but the rewards to your small business could be big.

For more tips on finding the right place to use your banner ad, order our new ebook “Quick & Easy Banner Advertising”. Find out step-by-step how to get your banner ad online fast by finding ad networks and websites that can get you real results. Learn more