Click-through rates are not the sole measure of banner effectiveness. This is something many of us inherently know and have talked about here, but it deserves repeated emphasis. In addition, various branding studies have found that every ad impression has important branding and awareness impact not seen in click rates alone. For example, a 1999 study by Ipsos-ASI found that online banner advertisements are as effective as television advertisements in their ability to increase consumer brand awareness. If these points are not convincing enough, I think the numbers speak for themselves.
Advertisers vote with their dollars.
And banners continue to be reported as the dominant type of online ad, contributing 50 percent of dollars. Furthermore, when considered in relation to the advent and subsequent growth of other traditional media outlets, online ads as a whole are gaining popularity at an extraordinary rate. The cable television industry took nine years to garner a market share of 2 percent of total U.S. advertising expenditures, yet online advertising has already captured 2 percent while still in its nascent stage. If many of the misperceptions about banners out there are cleared up, the growth of online ad dollars would be poised to explode past all predictions. Voice your opinion.