Unobtrusive Advertising
Have you ever visited a website with the intent of reading an article, only to see a full page ad? After clicking ‘continue’, or waiting fifteen to thirty seconds, you finally reach the page of the article. But wait, what’s this? A banner ad, a skyscraper ad, and a huge square advertisement smack-dab in the middle of the article itself. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you notice a new window has opened under your current window with an ad in it. After closing that, another window pops up with another ad. If you hadn’t closed the article already, you probably will now. This example may seem extreme, but it really has happened. Luckily, it is not nearly as common as it used to be.
I mentioned unobtrusive advertising last year when I was ranting about copyright complaints by blog owners, but I believe a bit more of an explanation (and rant) is needed. Let the world know how you feel about advertising by leaving a comment or three below 
Maybe we can get the word out about unobtrusive advertising (or at least get into a debate with someone who has no class whatsoever).
The Rejects
Many websites have stopped using pop-ups and pop-unders, but sadly, there are still several popular websites using them. A new window should never be generated simply to display an advertisement. This brings me to my next topic: full-page ads. They are annoying, unprofessional, and force the visitor to click to skip the ad (if this option is available at all). A visitor shouldn’t have to move, close, or navigate around an advertisement. Ever notice how welcome pages are rarely found on the web anymore? That, my fellow designer, is because people want content, not advertisements.
While writing this article, I was reminded of yet another type of advertisement. I will call it an in-window-pop-up. Since modern browser vendors have caught onto pop-ups and hate them as much as we do, they have integrated something called a Pop-Up Blocker (which has existed for a long time in Add-On Toolbars). Since pop-ups are, in fact, much more likely to gain a view/click, website owners found another way to produce the same results. The finished script, instead of opening a new browser window, creates an additional element (div) containing an image or text and positions it with CSS (or JavaScript). It can be small or take up the full screen, and typically has a close link/button (or timer). These can be far more annoying due to their dynamic nature. Not only do they always look different, but many times they scroll with the page and may even lag the browser (flash ads especially). Once again, this goes back to the visitor coming first. They visit a website for the content, not the ad. Ergo, ads shouldn’t be shown instead of content. They should be shown alongside (any side – top, bottom, left, right).
When to Use What
Banner ads (alternatively web banners) used to be one of the most common types of ads on the Internet (and still are). Being quite wide and not very tall, they can be placed at the top or bottom of a webpage (or entire website) very easily without taking away from the content too much. When deciding on a banner ad, the general rule of thumb is a visitor should never have to scroll to reach the main content, where the main content is an article or other similar content (not the header or navigation). The header, top navigation, top banner ad, and any other content above the main content of the page should stay around 150 pixels tall (250 pixels at the absolute most). To see an example of a banner ad, visit any profile on MySpace.com.
Skyscraper ads, also loosely classified as web banners, are still seen in abundance today. Even Facebook.com uses them, although sparingly (typically under ‘Friends’). The benefits of skyscraper ads are obvious – the can sit alongside the content without taking up too much room. Since most websites scroll up and down, banner ads can be ignored easily, while skyscraper ads are typically 600 pixels tall and 120 pixels to 160 pixels wide. The height of skyscraper ads make it more likely for a visitor to notice a particular link (or the ad in general).
Half banners (234×60), buttons (125×125), vertical banners (120×240), and squares (any size) have become much more common with blogs, forums, and professional sites alike. They can be neatly placed in sidebars, next to comments/articles, and even integrated into website headers. As with any type of page element, they won’t just work anywhere – they should be placed somewhere that seems appropriate. Advertisements next to comments/articles should never be more than one half the width of the article itself, although I prefer less than one third or one quarter the width of the article.
Points to Remember
- Display ads alongside content, not in place of
- Always use an ad appropriate for the space being filled
- Never use more than three different ad units on a single page
- Ads should never be more than one third the width of the article
- Never force a visitor to scroll to reach the content
Tags: advertising ethics, Banner Ads, Full-Page Ads, obtrusive advertising, Pop-Unders, Pop-Ups, Skyscraper Ads, unobtrusive advertising