Static vs. Dynamic Banner Ads – Pros, Cons, and How to Choose

Banner ads are back, and it is about time your digital advertising campaigns made effective use of them. Banner ads have been a part of the World Wide Web seemingly since its inception. Over time, their popularity with users has gone up and down. At times, they have been seen as pesky and resource-consuming.

Now, users view them as informative and most importantly, something they feel good about clicking on. Knowing when to use static vs. dynamic banner ads is indispensable to your digital advertising portfolio.

Static and dynamic banner ads are two sides of one coin, and they both have their advantages. Static advertisements are simpler to produce and universally implementable. They also are great for generic calls to action. Dynamic banner ads vary from person to person based on their behavior but are more engaging. Ultimately, they increase the clickthrough rate. Choosing static and dynamic banner ads on a case-by-case basis ensures the most successful advertising campaign.

Static Banner Ads

Static banner ads are advertisements that contain no changing elements. Changing elements here does not mean animated graphics. Instead, it means ad components vary based on the context in which they exist and the person viewing them.

A static banner ad will contain fixed text, graphics, and calls to action. Static banner ads are useful in making first impressions on customers. When creating a static banner ad, think about reaching the most people with a single message.

Advantages of static banner ads:

Static banner ads are easy and cheap to produce. There are many tools for creating static banner ads with no knowledge of design or computer programming. It is still best practice to hire a graphic designer and copywriter, though. Once produced, static ads are ready to ship. No further work is necessary.

Static banner ads can display almost anywhere. Most ad networks readily implement static banner ads. These ads can fit mobile and desktop settings. They also can work directly into existing advertising ecosystems.

The static advertising format is useful for a range of messages. Whether you are selling a product or service, static advertising formats are useful. This also is true whether you are advertising a seasonal or a fixed aspect of your business. This universality makes it easy to get familiar with this advertising format.

Static advertising uses generic messaging to cast a wide net. Since static banner ads do not change in context, the text and call to action must appeal to as many potential viewers as possible. This simplicity makes static ads easy to use.

Disadvantages of static banner ads:

Static advertising uses generic messaging to cast a wide net. Generic messaging can be a positive aspect of banner ads, but it can also end up hurting your campaign. If your message or call to action misses the people you are trying to convert, then the ad will be ineffective. Pay close mind to your target audience and its intent when crafting your static banner ads.

Static ads have limited or no interactivity. The point of a static ad is to get clicked. Some users need a more exciting display that they can play with and control to get their attention. For some users, a static ad is a sign to keep on scrolling.

Dynamic Banner Ads

In weighing static vs. dynamic banner ads, a wide range of digital advertisements are considered dynamic. Generally speaking, dynamic banner ads are suited to the person watching them.

Using cookies, you can create a banner ad with elements depending upon the end user’s specific interests. The same ad could show different products or prices to separate users based on information gleaned from tracking their online activity.

Dynamic banner ads can also refer to those with interactive elements. Interactive elements include surveys or the possibility of scrolling through products and clicking on the most appealing one.

Dynamic ads are difficult to implement than static ads. However, the tailoring of dynamic ads provides a high return on investment via higher clickthrough and conversion rates when looking at static ads vs. dynamic banner ads.

Advantages to using dynamic banner ads:

Dynamic ads are perfect for Google retargeting. Retargeting is the process of displaying ads to users who have already shown interest in your website. It is an extremely efficient way to turn clicks into conversions. Dynamic ads can display information based on where the user spent the most time on your site.

Dynamic ads work well with static ads. When looking at static ads vs. dynamic banner ads, they are not always antagonistic. Information about what static ads a specific user clicked on can inform your dynamic ad, meaning they work well in tandem. The static ad collects the leads, and the dynamic ad drives the sale home.

Dynamic ads work. Since they are highly customizable, dynamic ads can leave a lasting impression on users. It gives them an appreciation of their brand, as it appears to be speaking directly to them. If done well, the dynamic ad will be speaking directly to them. The best dynamic ads will pique the viewer’s interest by stating their exact needs.

Disadvantage of using dynamic banner ads:

Creating workable dynamic advertisements is difficult. Dynamic ads must be able to read a user and output the right ad. Creating a system that is highly variable and intuitive is not simple. It requires expertise, market research, time, and money. The payoff can be high, but you must strike a balance. Sometimes, the cost of dynamic advertising does not outweigh the increase in performance. In that case, you are better off with static advertisements.

Wrap Up:

The decision between static vs. dynamic banner ads is not simple. You must figure out your capacities. Static ads are easy and cheap; dynamic ads are thorough but expensive. The different ads also suit different needs. If you want to reach a massive audience with a single message, like “weekend sale: 15% off sitewide,” static advertising should work. Conversely, dynamic ads can help you show somebody that you have the specific product or service they seek.

Likely, you will benefit from a combination of static ads and dynamic ads. The former can help you find a target audience, and the latter will hook them. Apply the concepts in this post broadly, and you will be sure to see improvements in meeting your performance goals.