How to Design an Effective Ad
Getting Started
Why?
Many people go about making ads by simply slapping whatever random concoction pops into their head first. Most of the time, this works; because of that, this will help you refine your "work of art" so that it can be attractive and hopefully produce place visits.
What do I need?
Before we begin, you'll need the following:
- Some image editor.
- Some web browser.
- Patience.
Here are optional feature that you'll use later:
Note that animated ads do not work, so don't spend time on making them animate pretty to just see the first frame on the ad.
Getting Things Done
What do I want?
This is an important question to ask yourself. What point is your ad trying to get across? Here are some thoughts we don't want others to think when they see your ad:
- He/She spent less than 5 minutes on that. Ugh.
- He/She doesn't know how to spell or use correct grammar.
- He/She lol'd.
Here are some questions to ask about your ad:
- Is it more professional than everything on the page?
- Is it going to hurt someone's eyes with bright colors?
- Why would people ignore this?
What should be on it?
Don't upload the ad if you didn't make changes to it. That is bad.
Moving on, if you're going to put a picture, please let it contrast against whatever background you're using. If it's black on black, no one will see it. If it's black on white, people can see it.
Another tip for what should be on it is that you should use most of the "white space" in your ad. Don't let it be boring, but, if you would like to let it blend in with the page it's being displayed on (white background on a white page, with noticeable text.) That's fine.
That ad looks good. Can I use it?
No. Don't use other people's ads. Be original with your work and don't copy ideas. People like it when you make content that's never been seen before. And maybe, one day you'll be famous for it.
BUT THAT 1 GETS A BILLION CLICKS!!!1
No.
Finishing up
Be sure that every single detail is completed and finished. Check your work and make sure you are happy with your ad. Don't upload the ad until you are finished. If you notice an error later, it can be too late.
FAQ
Those image editors?
That's where you'll do the gritty work. A good editor will give you plenty of options and results.
What's the difference between banners/box ads/skyscrapers?
The box ad can only be displayed on My Profile and the Games Page. The Skyscraper can be seen everywhere, excluding the Forum. The banner ad can be seen everywhere on the website. None are displayed here on the wiki.
