Banners Versus Text Links

[pnewell9]

I have a new Affiliate site at CRUISE CHEAP . I've read the fairly recent suggestions on the use of text links over banners .. but I'd like to get your opinions on this? Provided the banners don't rupture the eyeballs, I'm wondering if maybe this isn't the better way to go? Thanks. Peter

[Linda Buquet]

Peter,

If you are going to use banners you should also use text descriptions for each as you have done.

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MY APOLOGIES to Bhartzer and 2 others that posted asking about text vs banners in another topic. I tried to merge and ended up accidently deleting your posts.

That'll teach me to try to edit 1st thing on a Sunday morning while I am still half asleep!
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[Chris - WSO]

Hi Peter

My experience is that banners and text should be used together, though potentially not in the same way you have presented it.

For example banners help to promote a brand, even if people don't click on them, people ready your site text/tables/presentations and then click on links within it to visit a site. If they have gone through 3-4 pages and see a banner on each page that pushes a brand, then before they click through the hope is that they have, at some level, taken the brand image on board.

Personally I think you need less banners, in more visible locations above the fold of the page, especially for your best converting partners.

Cheers

Chris

[Karen Hudgins]

I have seen a non animated logo type banner work well in conjunction with text links. Many of our affiliates will use an 88x31 or 120x40 banner with a text description next to it.

[bhartzer]

Text links can work very well, especially when you personally recommend a product or service. If you write a short paragraph about the product or service and recommend it or work the text link into your normal copy then it will actually improve your conversions, much better than a simple banner ad.

[AlexDP]

I've found that text links work best when selling products, second are static banners. I think people just ignore flashing advertising banners on sites now - how many do you click on?

Combining text and image of products works well - however I'm not getting many sales from them but that's another problem!

Alex

[FiveGrand]

According to DoubleClick who has partnered with Macromedia on an ad delivery system, "Rich Media Ads", which are flash banners that the user can interact with, have a 7 times higher click through rate than standard banners (which I believe is about 0.5%)

Compare that with AdSense claims they have an average click through of almost 5%, and AdSense still has a higher click through then banners. Making text links (like AdSense) win over even "Rich Media Ads"...I guess.

[Karen Hudgins]

To gain even more success from text links such as those used within AdSense, make sure that the back ground of any text link ad is the same as your site and the text is also similar in color. The only text that should be a different color is the phrase that is hyperlinked. This way the text ads will look more as though they are a part of your actual site and not an ad for another site.