Banner question
November 13th, 2009, 01:21 PM
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Newbie
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Join Date: October 20th, 2007
Posts: 15
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Banner question
For a new merchant, how critical is the availability of banners? We have great product images available in multiple sizes and resolutions, but are a bit light in the banner dept.
Are banners even used anymore on sites? or are affiliates more interested in good product images and other aspects of what a merchant can offer?
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November 13th, 2009, 01:22 PM
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ABW Resident Pessimist
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Join Date: May 8th, 2007
Posts: 1,941
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Just curious if your name comes from the movie Fletch?
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"The Best Vitamin For a Christian is B1"
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November 13th, 2009, 01:24 PM
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Join Date: January 18th, 2005
Location: Mansfield, TX
Posts: 12,202
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Banners aren't really essential for most affiliates, but if I saw a merchant with no banners (or no good banners), I would wonder what else they hadn't taken the time for.
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November 13th, 2009, 01:27 PM
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Newbie
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Join Date: October 20th, 2007
Posts: 15
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Seymour...why yes it is from Fletch....6'4, 6'8 with the afro 
Michael - Thank you. If the rest of the merchants plan was rock solid, would that offset your concerns? Things like return days, responsiveness, discounts, coupons, data feeds, product images, etc..
We just honestly never use banner ads anymore so we stopped designing new ones a couple years ago |
November 13th, 2009, 01:42 PM
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aka "Beachy"
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Join Date: November 20th, 2005
Location: At the Beach (West Fenwick, DE) or TPA@0W3
Posts: 4,325
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Banners aren't used nearly as much as they used to be - but they ARE used. So, I figure you almost HAVE to have some banners - if for nothing other than credibility.
There are a couple of members here who do outstanding work and can create a set of professionally done banners at minimal cost. I have used both AlexBet.com and Auggie4000.com for various graphics work over the years. Most recently I used Auggie to create a set of IAB sized banners for GirlyChecks.com. He did an excellent job - and from the stats in the SAS interface, they are generating some click-throughs. |
November 13th, 2009, 01:46 PM
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Affiliate Manager
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Join Date: June 10th, 2009
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 393
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if you want to go after blogs, banners are really a must. Unless the blog has a store (then it really isn't a blog anymore!)
Also, having some quality banners available to view gives an affiliate a good at-a-glance look at the quality of your company. Of course it isn't the whole story, or much of it at all (things like responsiveness, EPC, return days, etc are more important) You can tell a lot about a merchant by the quality (or lack of) of their creatives.
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November 13th, 2009, 03:01 PM
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Member
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Join Date: October 29th, 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 83
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If you are joining a managed network, see if the network provides creative services for you. They may be able to create some nice banners, in a hurry, with little or no cost to you.
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November 13th, 2009, 03:16 PM
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Moderator - http and a telephoto
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Join Date: January 18th, 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,402
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Affiliates still need banners. Especially an 88x31 and a 120x60 to start. If you don't have what they want/need they may not be inclined to ask and will go promote your competitor.
I recommend offering the same sizes as you would find in adsense. Go look at any blog and you will see 125x125 buttons, banners in a post, and banners that span two columns. Product and category specific banners are better than home page banners.
Silver Bullet, most retail networks are not going to manage programs or even if they do have management services, banner creation is a separate service.
Banners are also used in affiliate emails. Need more? It isn't just the old slap a banner on a site that affiliates use them for, it is as a design element that adds to the value of the page, and then the associated text links are what is clicked on.
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November 13th, 2009, 04:02 PM
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Member
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Join Date: October 29th, 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 83
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Loxly, newbie question here, but can you define "retail" network? I'm thinking you're referring to CPS (meaning sales) networks rather than CPA (meaning leads) networks, but I wanted to be clear. And if my inference is correct, does this mean CPA networks are usually more actively managed by the network?
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November 13th, 2009, 04:23 PM
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Moderator - http and a telephoto
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Join Date: January 18th, 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,402
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Silver Bullet
Loxly, newbie question here, but can you define "retail" network? I'm thinking you're referring to CPS (meaning sales) networks rather than CPA (meaning leads) networks, but I wanted to be clear. And if my inference is correct, does this mean CPA networks are usually more actively managed by the network?
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CPA networks don't have traditional "merchant" accounts. They have affiliates that are able to promote all "offers". So if you are a merchant with a CPA network, you don't control your affiliate base, don't contact your affiliates and don't even know who your affiliates are. In exchange the CPA network *may* create graphics, landing pages and banners for you. The CPA networks manage all their affiliates as one group.
Retail networks like CJ, Linkshare, Shareasale and GAN do not manage merchants or create graphics. They may have a section that you can hire to manage your program for you, but again, graphics work is generally not included but is an extra service. Each merchant on these networks is set up separately, with their own Terms of Service, approval processes and management. While you may not be able to access your affiliates contact information directly (affiliates agree to share contact information) you do know their basic information and are able to contact them through the affiliate interface. There are lots of other differences, but those are the basic management differences. There are many threads discussing both models. |
November 13th, 2009, 05:01 PM
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Member
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Join Date: October 29th, 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 83
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Thanks Debbie. That was helpful.
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November 27th, 2009, 06:03 PM
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Newbie
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Join Date: October 20th, 2007
Posts: 15
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Thanks all, we'll probably hire someone to make up a few banners. I suppose it never hurts to have a few good ones around anyway  |
November 27th, 2009, 06:14 PM
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Moderator - http and a telephoto
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Join Date: January 18th, 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,402
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I hope by "a few" you mean at least a couple of targeted "sets". Your affiliates will thank you. Plus if you have them created well, you can use them in your own advertising. Maybe calling them "buttons" instead of banners will make it clearer how people are using them?
When someone makes a blog post they need a creative to put there. And I don't think there are many blogs without a 125x125 or two to make things look better.
Michael I'm surprised you don't think that affiliates are using banners much. This past couple of weeks I have had a number of requests for various banners across the board for all our merchants because I was missing some 120x60 or 88x31 or the ones that existed we before we took over and they were animated, so the affiliates needed static ones. |
November 27th, 2009, 07:09 PM
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Join Date: January 18th, 2005
Location: Mansfield, TX
Posts: 12,202
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There are many groups of affiliates who will have little or no need for banners (coupon affiliates, PPC affiliates, datafeed affiliates, etc.). You're right, though, that there's still a pretty big group of affiliates who DO want and/or need banners.
"Most" may have been a little bit of a stretch when I said banners "aren't really essential for most affiliates". "Many" might have been a more appropriate word.
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