Whenever a business buys advertising space, they know they have the opportunity to grab their target audience's attention. Back when print advertising was extremely valuable, marketers would charge companies more if they wanted to post a large ad or land on page one.
However, increased use of the internet has shifted the demand from page one to online banner advertising space on web domains that are representative of the business' brand.
For example, Credit Unions are realizing the need to compete with bigger financial institutions as more people are going online to find competitive interest rates. Internet use has become so rampant that the average person spends at least an hour and a half online per day, according to a study from the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Though the sample of this study focuses on British online users, the fact that advertisers have spent a record-breaking $4.79 billion on local internet marketing within the first half of 2013 shows that this popularity is only going to increase.
Understanding the potential value of online marketing is tricky because it can be measured by click-throughs, web traffic, impressions or actions taken. While it may be tempting to just commit a portion of the budget to measure click-throughs, organizations should put more consideration into where the ads are placed. Similar to traditional advertising, brands that invest in valuable portions of the web page are more likely to have more web traffic and impressions.
"Just because an advert[isement] is generating page impressions, it doesn't necessarily mean its gaining traction with the target user, or even that it's been seen at all," iMedia Connection contributor Andrew Goode writes. "If you think about all those users who are browsing the internet, they won't dwell at the foot of the page. They're often just consuming the headlines across many different sites."
If online users are unable to see where the banners or videos are, how can businesses feel confident that they are getting a return on their investment? A lack of visibility may occur if companies are buying space on websites that are not relevant to the industry or market.
Companies that partner with Key Media Solutions will be working with a team that will do all the necessary research to ensure that their business will be getting impressions from those who will take action to purchase goods or services.