2. Advertising
Contents
Problems
Advertising is a difficult task, and identified problems need to be weighed against the potential benefits (e.g. revenue).
Here are the disadvantages I was able to identify:
- Chosen advertising detracts from taz branding
- Chosen advertising distracts reader from news content
- Banner advertisements ineffective
- Chosen advertising undermines graphic design and detracts from site’s integrity
Approach
There does not appear to be a considered approach to advertising on the site. The ads displayed are competing for each other’s attention and detract from the news.
A typical visitor will come to the site with the primary goal of reading the content and is less likely to be distracted by advertising until this goal has been adequately satisfied. Thus, initially having no advertising will free the site from the given disadvantages, without significantly impacting on the revenue generated. Ads should then be placed lower on the front page (past the “fold”) and on each of the articles.
Contextual advertising, integrated into the graphic design may be as or more effective than the banners, and will have a strong positive effect on the visitor’s trust and opinion of the site. This is a worthwhile approach, and should provide a bigger return in the long run, especially if the readership is thereby increased.
Best practice
Here are some suggested improvements:
- Remove all banners above branding, the branding is far more important.
- Banners are in any case ineffective, due to banner blindness.
- Make no use of flashing, dominant and non-integrated ads. These are generally bad for maintaining the users’ trust.
- Integrate contextual ads into the graphic design (no black blocks).