This is reflected in concerns expressed about declining click through rates, the perceived high cost of ad placements and about problems with measurement. Concerns about declining click through rates are largely misplaced. The click through is not a measurement that is tied to a particular objective. Results will vary significantly depending on whether the message within the ad is a meaningful call to action that should reasonably encourage a click through or whether it is a branding image that will have its effect through repeated exposure. Given that banner ads are no longer novel, one ought not to be surprised to see the rates drop, particularly in light of the way the Internet is used.
People use the Internet primarily to search for information.
They are goal directed and something that will divert them from that goal is a distraction. 81 percent of online advertising inventory remains unsold. The rate of growth of new inventory is approximately 38 percent. Consequently, the actual rates that can be negotiated are frequently far below posted rates, leaving the concern about the cost of ad placements more imagined than real. Concerns about measurement on the Internet do have validity.