Sales Loves MarketingA banner ad is an image or animated ad that sits in a fixed space on a web page or in an app and links to the advertiser's site when someone clicks it. It is the oldest form of online display advertising. The first widely sold web banner, paid for by AT&T, went live on HotWired in October 1994.
How does a banner ad work?
A publisher reserves ad slots on its pages. When a page loads, an ad server picks which banner fills each slot, based on the campaign's targeting, budget and bid. The visitor sees the ad, and a click takes them to the advertiser's landing page.
Advertisers buy banners in a few ways:
- Directly from a publisher, for a fixed slot or as run of site.
- Through an ad network, which spreads the ad across many sites (run of network).
- Programmatically, through platforms that bid for each impression in real time.
Pricing is usually per thousand impressions (CPM) or per click (CPC). Rates depend on the audience, the site and the format, so there is no single going rate.
What is the difference between banner ads and display ads?
Display advertising is the wider category. It covers banners, video, rich media, interstitials and native ads. A banner is one format inside it. People often use the terms as if they mean the same thing, but a video ad is display, not a banner.
What are the standard banner ad sizes?
Google's AdSense guide lists these as its top-performing sizes:
| Size | Name | Where it tends to work |
|---|---|---|
| 300x250 | Medium rectangle | Inside article text or at the end of an article |
| 336x280 | Large rectangle | Same placements as the medium rectangle |
| 728x90 | Leaderboard | Above the main content |
| 300x600 | Half page | Gives advertisers more room for their message |
| 320x100 | Large mobile banner | Mobile, twice the height of a 320x50 |
Tall formats such as the 160x600 wide skyscraper are also common. Many campaigns now use responsive display ads: in Google Ads you upload images, logos, headlines and descriptions, and Google assembles ads that fit almost any slot.
What makes a banner ad work?
- Expect banner blindness. Nielsen Norman Group's eyetracking research found people tend to ignore anything they think is an ad, especially in top banners and side columns. A clear message and a single visual focus help.
- One message, one action. A logo, a short value proposition and a clear call to action are usually enough.
- Match the landing page. The page a banner links to should repeat its offer, or visitors bounce.
- Avoid formats people hate. The Coalition for Better Ads lists pop-ups, auto-playing video with sound, large sticky ads and, on mobile, flashing animated ads among the experiences that fall below its standards.
- Cap frequency. A frequency cap stops the same person from seeing your banner too often.
An example from B2B marketing
A company that sells security software buys 300x250 and 728x90 banners on an IT trade publication read by system administrators. The banner offers a free guide to securing remote laptops. Clicks go to a landing page with a short form. The team tracks click-through rate, cost per lead and how many leads sales accepts, not just impressions.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Are banner ads and display ads the same thing?
Not quite. Display advertising is the wider category and includes banners, video, rich media, interstitials and native ads. A banner ad is one format within display advertising, though people often use the two terms loosely.
What are the most common banner ad sizes?
Google's AdSense guide names 300x250 (medium rectangle), 336x280 (large rectangle), 728x90 (leaderboard), 300x600 (half page) and 320x100 (large mobile banner) as its top-performing sizes. The 300x250 and 728x90 are also IAB standard sizes.
How are banner ads paid for?
Advertisers usually pay per thousand impressions (CPM) or per click (CPC). Publishers earn a share of what advertisers pay, either directly or through an ad network. Rates vary widely by audience, site and format.