If banner advertising doesn't achieve direct response, then why use them?
If a customer has already seen your advert, they are more likely to look for you the next time they need the product or service that you offer.
Firstly, I'm not suggesting that banners don't achieve direct response, they can and do. However, at this stage you must try to remember that no-one was looking for your advert, it just appeared on the page they were looking at.
So why should I use banners?
As interesting as your banner ad might be, remember the consumer may not be in the right frame of mind to buy from you right now. If they've seen your advert, however, they'll be more likely to look for you when they do need your product or service ñ instead of going to your competitor.
In a nutshell, that's why you should use banner advertising. Don't think of increasing brand awareness as a pointless exercise - it's not direct response but it will still help you to achieve response down the line.
How will banners benefit me in the long term?
Think of banner advertising as the rising agent in your cupcakes or the Miracle Grow in your garden. You could bake cakes or grow plants without them but with them, you'll do much better. Your cakes will rise, your garden will flourish and your advertising portfolio will achieve new heights.
When consumers know or recognize your brand it instils a level of confidence and trust. This means that when they search for your product or services in search engines or business directories, they'll click on your advert and not an alternative.
Will banner advertising widen my potential customer base?
Additionally, you need to think about where your new consumers come from. If you limit your advertising portfolio to purely direct response campaigns such as search advertising ñ you will only ever advertise to people who are looking for you.
In order to expand and grow your client base, you need to attract customers from a variety of sources using your banner advertising. You particularly want to inspire people who otherwise wouldn't have spent their hard earned money on your product or service, to do just that.