Why are banner ads changing shape

A.� Many web publishers are hoping that bigger and bolder banner ads will encourage net users to pay more attention to the products being advertised and thus increase the company's revenue. Presently, most Internet advertisements are squeezed into thin, rectangular strips across the top of the webpage. This format has proved to be an unsuccessful method of advertising, with only 0.5 per cent of web users clicking onto them. This poor hit rate has prompted some web publishers to call for a redesign of the banner ad.

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Q.� Which companies are proposing to introduce these ads

Q.� What will the new ads look like

A.� The new ads will be bigger and more intrusive. The Internet Advertising Bureau has given its approval for seven new ad formats, in different shapes and sizes, to be introduced. They will take-up more space on the webpage and bear a close resemblance to the shape of adverts normally seen in magazines and newspapers. One of the new formats, that has been dubbed the 'skyscraper', will form a vertical strip down the side of the page. It will be much like a�traditional banner ad, but turned on its side, and it will be a lot bigger, measuring 160 x 600. Another new format to be introduced will look like a very big square that will appear in the middle of the webpage, making it virtually impossible for the eye to avoid. This particular format is already being used by the IT news website at Cnet.com.

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Q.� Why are current banner ads considered such a flop

A.� Advertising specialists believe that Internet banner ads, in their current form, are a relatively effective way of advertising, however, because the web allows advertisers to measure exactly how well their banner ads are doing, the online advertising industry is directly in the line of scrutiny. Because the number of people who click on banner ads can be measured instantly, the performance of online advertising can be monitored far easier than other forms of advertising. Current banner ads are also being criticised for the lack of creativity used in their design. Users consider most banner ads dull and annoying. Many Internet advertisers are now pledging to spend more money on creating better-looking ads.

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Q.� Is there any way that users can prevent these bigger ads from appearing on the webpages they visit

A.� Yes. Many web users have already chosen to install software that blocks out all banner advertising on a webpage. Programs such as AdSubtract, AdWiper, AdFilter and, the Internet junkbuster, Proxy, can be easily installed into a computer to filter out all online ads. At present, there are 3.5 million Internet surfers who use ad-filtering software. Many Internet service providers also use software that can wipe out all banner ads from pages seen by their customers, replacing them with the ISPs own material.

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Q.� How much do companies spend on Internet banner advertising

In July 1999, Internet ad spending stood at $233 million, according to the Internet monitoring company AdRelevance. However, with the dot com fall-out of 2000, Internet advertising had dropped by 93% in December of that year. With the newly formatted ads, the Internet community hopes that companies will spend more on online advertising. After preliminary tests, the bigger banner ads have been found to attract four times more clicks than normal ads. It is estimated that they will cost advertisers up to 40% more.

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By Christina Okoli