By David Plowman

The ever-present banner ad just isn’t getting its proper due. There have been several studies showing that as web consumers are becoming more sophisticated, fewer people are clicking on the ad and linking to the advertiser’s site.

While declining click through rates are undeniably tapering off from their early peak, Luddites should not be so quick to conclude that banner ads are useless. That’s because like traditional advertising, the purpose of the much-maligned banner ad is not just to generate direct sales through click-throughs, but also to build brand identification and brand loyalty.

Widely accepted in traditional advertising, branding creates awareness of a product or service, but does not necessarily result in a direct or immediate sale. For example, auto manufactures traditionally blanket the airwaves informing consumers of their latest models. Most manufactures don’t expect consumers to jump out of their chair and rush to the nearest dealership to purchase the advertised car.  But they do want to make consumers aware of the particular makes and models the manufacturer has available. The manufacture then hopes that if any consumers are or soon will be in the market for a new car, they will remember the commercials and start looking for the make and model of the advertised car.

Banner ads work in the same way. Suppose an on-line travel website advertises heavily on the web. It is very unlikely that consumers will click through the advertisement to book a vacation every time they see the ad.  However, when it comes time to plan an a vacation, chances are consumers will check the site they have seen advertised on the web.

Proponents of on-line advertising argue that measuring the success of banner ads by their click though rate is only getting part of the story. Instead, they say a more holistic approach would be to measure a change in sales during a particular on-line advertising campaign and immediately after. If sales increase significantly, it is likely the result of the ad campaign, whether or not the consumer clicked through your ad or types the website in themselves.

By David Plowman

When it comes to on-line advertising there are several types of on-line ads to consider. Here’s a primer on some of the most common:

• Banner ads. The old stalwart of web site, these are horizontal ads at the top or bottom of the website. While these ads are ubiquitous, traditionally they do not have a very high click through rate.
• Skyscraper ads. These ads are similar to banner ads, but instead of running across the screen horizontal, they are vertical.
• Square ads. These rectangular ads are generally placed in the middle of the screen and break up the text in a web site.
• Pop-Ups. No doubt you are familiar with these ads that pop-up in a new window over the site you were reading. While these ads are generally unwelcome by many web surfers, and there are several pop-up blockers that prevent most of them from appearing, surprising these ads have a relatively high click-through rate.
• Pop-under. As the name implies, these ads are similar to pop-ups, but they open underneath the current web page. You won’t know they are there until after you click off the window you’re viewing.
• Interstitial. These ads will appear after you clicked an internal site and before the new site loads.
• Overlays. These types of ads will overtake the background of the site you are looking at, replace overwrite it or hover around the sreen.

By David Plowman

A website can offer many benefits for your company. It can help educate consumers about your product, help generate public relations and most importantly, generate sales. But that only happens if people actually visit your site.

While there are several ways you can develop an on-line presence through many other on-line arenas such as search engines, banner ads and pop-ups, many people forget to add their website address to their more traditional off-line forms of advertising.

When advertising in the print media, make sure to include your website. These days, advertisements look naked without  it. And with good reason, consumers now more likely to check your website than to call, mail or visit your business in person. Because of its importance, make sure your address is printed in a large font, at least as large as your address or phone number.

Your web address should be on every document you have printed, including letterhead, business cards, coupons, flyers, and shopping bags. The more ways you get your website out there, the greater chance people will log on to your site.

If you are planning to advertise on other forms of traditional media, remember to include your website. When advertising on the radio, make sure to repeat your address at least three times. Listeners are probably more likely to remember your web address than your phone number. When advertising on the TV, keep in mind that not all viewers have large screen TV’s, make sure that your site is readable even on a smaller screen.

There are several good reasons to increase your on-line presence on-line however, just don’t forget about adding to your cyberspace presence in the 3-D too.

David Plowman 

“Sleeping with the fishes” is something you might hear in old gangsters movie from Hollywood’s hay-day. But, today the phrase is no longer a euphemism; it can be a reality at the ultimate extreme vacation destination.If you are looking for something a little different on your next vacation…here are some underwater luxury resorts offering the finest accouterments and the best views on the planet.Jules’ Undersea Lodge is an aquatic hotel located off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. In the 1970’s, this converted lodge was the La Chalupa research laboratory, which primarily functioned to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico.

For the hotel industry, it is a $1.4 billion a year boom, for hotel guests, it is a frustrating litany of charges ranging anywhere from $2.50 to $30-per item charges that can easily drive the room rate up more than $100 a day.

Hidden charges have taken residence at many hotels around the country, and aren’t expected to check-out any time soon. Some examples of these charges include mini-bar restocking fees (in addition to the less-than-economical price for the drinks themselves), room service delivery fees (over and above the cost of the delivered items and the tip), parking fees (which depending on where you stay, are based on both the duration of your stay and the number of times you enter and exit the facility).

Want a complementary cup of coffee? Not so fast. Some hotels offer free use of the coffee-maker and cup but charge you for the package of grounds. More often, the “free coffee” is billed to you in the form of a “resort fee” which also covers the cost of the “free” gym, pool and/or golf course, whether or not you use these amenities or not.

 Here’s some free advice to help you avoid the charges: when you book the room, ask the attendant if there are any charges in addition to the room rates. In some states, hotels are required to inform guests of any surcharges in advance of their stay.

You may also want to try some other tactics to avoid the hidden hotel charges:

• Join the hotel’s frequent visitor program. In addition to earning points for free or upgraded rooms, some hotels waive their “resort fees” for their club members. Even if it doesn’t automatically wave the fees, you may be able to use your preferred member status as leverage to persuade them to waive the fees.
• Upgrade and save. While it may seem counter-intuitive to spend more money to save some, many of these extra charges are truly free in many club-level rooms. You might get free-internet service, breakfast and an afternoon snack, even as you stay in a nicer room. When you add the extras these rooms provide and discount the resort fees that you’d be paying otherwise, the club room could end up being a better value than the basic room.
• Economize. Conversely, many mid-priced hotel chains offer free internet access and breakfasts, often without charging a hidden surcharge.

By following these tips, you could save yourself a lot of dough. That’s good news for the weary traveler.

By David Plowman