Even Tighter Targeting With the advances of dynamic server technologies, the quality of targeting, and therefore the value for money an advertiser gets, could improve. By using rotating banner ads, the messages can be made to go through a pre-determined sequence per page load. This allows a message to build up or it may just be done for variety so that the reader doesn't become blind to repeated exposure to the same message. Andy Warhol's work showed that multiple images actually dilute a message. Used excessively, they no longer reinforce the message but form a pattern that hides the content, or becomes an annoyance that is a complete turn-off for the viewer.
Some software can track the display of ads and provide detailed log statistics.
Specialised agencies will provide banner rotational services for a fee, or you can buy a program to run on your own server. More sophisticated 'content stream analysis' programs can build reader profiles so that they are being served ads that are most appropriate to them personally. To the advertisers, this sounds like an ideal situation, but such 'user profiling' is already causing a major counter-reaction and may even be illegal under some countries' privacy laws. If you are considering placing banner ads, or other smaller 'button ads' on your Web pages, there are some basic, common-sense rules. Be aware that they can detract from the content of your page and lead readers away, maybe never to return.