Online display ads have gotten a bad rap
lately. It’s a format, according to many sources, with declining investment
and waning effectiveness.
But a study from
iProspect may have discovered an unexpected benefit of online display
ads.
When Internet users were surveyed to find out what actions they took when
viewing a display ad on an ad-supported Website, nearly one-third said they
clicked on the ad.
In addition, 27% reported that they did an
online search for the product, brand or company, and 21% typed the company
Web address in their browser. Nine percent sought additional information
using social media tools.
That means a click is only one measure of a display ad’s effectiveness.
Among respondents who saw a display ad and
performed a related search at some point, the largest proportion (38%)
visited the advertiser’s site through search results, 11% searched but did
not click on any of the results, and 14% searched, visited the site and
purchased the product advertised.
How likely ad responders were to purchase a
product depended on how well-acquainted they were with the offering or
company.
One-third of those who knew the product eventually purchased, compared with
14% of “first timers” who learned about the offering or the company and
eventually bought something.
“Online display advertising is far from dead,” said Robert Murray of
iProspect.
“In essence, search is an alternative mechanism for Internet users to
respond to online display,” he added. “If marketers are going to invest in
display then they should leverage search marketing to help them capture the
demand that display advertising creates.”
