NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Click throughs not equal
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Click throughs not equal
Leo Sheiner (leo_at_netcomuk.co.uk)
Tue, 18 Aug 1998 16:15:04 -0500 (CDT)
"Ali Partovi" <apartovi_at_linkexchange.com> wrote:
<snip>
>At LinkExchange, we're in our 3rd year of running ad campaigns for large
>paying advertisers, and we've found that what users do *after* they click
>can vary widely depending on banner content. Quite often, we've found that
>Banner (A) may have twice as good a click-through, while Banner (B) has
>three times as good a conversion ratio.
>
>Therefore, using click-through alone as a measure of campaign effectiveness
>can be very misleading. You may choose a banner graphic that delivers a
>terrific click-through, but actually results in less leads and a worse
>conversion rate than another, lower click-through banner.
<snip>
So right Ali, but can I elaborate here. What you are describing
is what is happening but not suggesting why that is the case. The
phrase "Not all clickthroughs are equal" has long been a
favourite refrain of mine. It starts of course in the environment
that creates the clicks. If the content is right then that will
clearly differentiate the audience and their consequent
behaviour. Targeting is what that is about but in my view
somewhat overemphasised and overvalued by the advertisers coming
from the world of television and the printed media.
The reason I believe that targeting is overvalued is that most of
our advertisers are paying per clickthrough. And that is a notion
completely lacking in the conventional media unless you have
advertisers paying per coupon response. Here we have a medium
that allows you to pay per user that volunteers his interest. So
it may follow that it is less important (but not entirely less
important) what the composition of the audience is when you are
only paying for that part of the audience that expresses an
interest. And that takes us to the creative.
The reason one banner will get a higher CTR and a lower
conversion while another will get a low CTR but a higher
conversion is really quite simple. The message. That is all it
is. Fancy creative that amuses, teases, cajoles, impresses, gains
attention will get a higher CTR but once they get to the
advertisers site the steam goes out of the impulse because the
expectation is not matched by the result. So the Back button is
used more frequently and more quickly. In contrast a matter of
fact creative that explains succintly (perhaps with some wit) the
precise benefit the user can expect by clicking here will
certainly get less CTR and equally certainly get a higher
conversion.
So use the message of your banner to filter and target your
buyer. Then buy per clickthrough and try and increase your CTR
only by targeting your audience (provided it is not much more
expensive to do so). Then watch your conversion figures climb and
your ROI.
======
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