Banners have become essential tools in online marketing. However, the design of the website banner matters a lot. Some work well, while others create confusion. If you plan to create your own banner for your company website, you should be precise and go straight to the point.
An online banner works like a regular physical banner. The primary mission of a banner is to advertise your company’s product or service. With an online banner, the customer will be redirected to your website once he/she clicks it.
More so, online banners use animations and visual effects to attract the attention of potential customers. The standard size of a banner is 468 px x 60 px, and it contains three elements. These include a background image, logo, and text slogan. Without these elements, the banner will be ineffective.
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Tips for creating a simple banner
If you are looking to prepare a simple banner for your website, the following tips will help.
Hire an experienced designer
If you can hire an experienced designer, you will be better off than most businesspeople. Many designers are available on the web but finding a genuine one is usually a hurdle. More so, you may not get the results you visualized.
There are many freelance platforms from which you can get an experienced designer. These include Elance, Fiverr, Odesk, etc. The price to create banners varies from designer to designer. So, take the time to compare several options before settling for a particular one.
If you feel the cost is a bit high, the solution is to design your own logo and let the designer handle the rest. This way, you will only pay for the banner creation services because you will already have a working logo.
Graphic design software
If you love designing, you should use the skills to create your own banner. Although it may take some time, it is a better alternative because you will get precisely what you want. It will save you lots of money because you will not need to hire a designer.
Many graphic design programs are available, and you can use any of them to create your banner. For instance, Photoshop and Gimp are great software to use when creating your banner.
Even if you have never used the software before, you can take some time to learn and equip yourself with the necessary tools. More so, this could be an excellent opportunity to acquire a new skill. You could even become a designer in the future if you take it seriously.
Use PowerPoint
There are countless things you can do with Microsoft PowerPoint besides creating presentations. This software is versatile and can be just what you need to make your banner. You can use it to create both static and animated banners, and it is straightforward to use. If you follow the right steps, you will get a very attractive banner for your website.
Online banner generator
If you have limited resources and skills, the best remaining option is to use an online banner generator. Look for online services such as Canva that you can use to create a banner for free. However, you must define the format and shape of the banner before you use the online service. Also, you should include your logo, relevant images, text, and call-to-action.
After that, the online banner generator tool you choose will generate the banner for you. The font and colors you choose are customizable, and you can change them to suit your preference.
Some of the popular online banner generators include Canva, Fotor, Pixlr, and Crello. These tools are easy to use and will generate your banner within seconds.
What to consider when designing a banner
When designing an online banner, you should consider the following aspects.
File format– the banner should not be too heavy as it may slow down your site. The recommended file size should be 50 to 150kb. JPG, PNG, and GIF formats should also be used accordingly.
Design– graphic elements are the best to use in a banner because it is too small to fit all your text.
Call-to-action– a call-to-action entices your customers to visit your site to check what you offer.
Your customers– think about your target audience before developing the banner to ensure the message gets home.
Creating a banner is simple if you know what you want and who you intend to reach. As mentioned above, you can create the banner in various ways. Whichever method you use, make sure the banner is enticing and up-to-date to attract more customers.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
