, we examine how
web advertising differs from print advertising. 1. Planning
Both Internet and print advertising succeed to the extent that they are goal-directed, focused on audience and message.
Before you can begin working, you need a clear idea of the needs and attitudes of your audience and the action you want them to take. This means planning before action. You need to be certain of the purpose of your
communication and the obstacles you must overcome to achieve it.
2. Theme
Both Internet and print advertising succeed to the extent they are organized around a single central
theme. Like symphonies, the most satisfying brochures, newsletters and web sites are unified by a recurring theme which supports the action you want your reader or web site visitor to take.
The theme
should appear on the front cover of your brochure/newsletter or the Home Page of your web site and should be repeated on each of the pages that follow. Each page of your brochure, newsletter or web site should contain
arguments supporting the theme, or central idea, you're communicating.
3. Branding
Successful web sites, like effective ads, brochures and newsletters, create a distinct
image in the viewer's mind. Like an individual with a strong personality, successful marketing materials are memorable and stand out from the competition. Successful branding is based on the appropriate and consistent
use of color, layout, type and visuals.
4. First impressions count
Brochure and newsletter readers, like visitors to your web site, are impatient. You have just a few seconds
to capture their attention or they're gone forever. Therefore, just as the headlines and visuals on the front cover of your brochures and newsletters should attract your readers into turning the page, your Home Page
should provide reasons for visitors to immediately begin following increasingly detailed links.
Readers and visitors to your web site, alike, will make "stay or move-on" decisions within seconds after
encountering your message. Newsletters rely on a front- page table of contents, Home Pages rely on graphics and highlighted text which visibly links the visitor to the information inside.
5. Color
Color plays a major role in both print and Internet advertising. Color operates emotionally, creating a mood or atmosphere which flavors your message. Always strive for appropriateness.
Consider how
inappropriate it would be to use Halloween colors, like black and orange, on your Christmas card or "Christmas colors" like red and green for invitations to your Halloween party. Color also plays pragmatic
roles.
Color also determines how easy your message is to read, requiring you to pay careful attention to foreground (i.e., text) and background colors. If there is insufficient contrast, your message will be hard to
read and readers will likely pass it by. For example, blue text on a black or dark gray background, or purple on red can be almost impossible to see.
Likewise, color can be used as an attention-getting device to
emphasize important messages-a red headline on a white background, for example, can make a special sale or promotion really jump.
6. White space
Both print and Internet advertising
benefit from white space-empty areas of the page or screen which provide contrast to the adjacent text and graphics. White space provides "breathing room" for your text and reduces line length, making the text
appear easier to read. White space also adds visual contrast to your pages and provides a resting spot for your reader's eyes.
7. Accessibility
Both Internet and print
advertising succeed to the extent they are accessible. Information must be easy to locate rather than hidden in columns containing paragraph after paragraph of text.
In both print and Internet advertising,
information is communicated to the extent it is broken into short, bite-sized chunks and is easy to read. The easiest way to enhance accessibility is to employ frequent reader cues like headlines, subheads, department
heads, pull-quotes, and their web counterparts-links or "bookmarks" to other parts of a single document.
8. Simplicity
Both Internet and print marketing succeed to the
extent they are simple to read. Simplicity requires short paragraphs, short words and ruthless editing. Long words must be replaced by short words, and unnecessary words-no matter how satisfying they are to write-must
be deleted. Readers are busy. Force yourself to communicate telegraphically.
9. Self-interest
Internet and print marketing both succeed to the extent they appeal to the reader's
self-interest. Content and design decisions must be made with the reader in mind.
- What are the reader's problems?
- How can my product solve them?
- What evidence can I provide to backup my claims?
- How can I employ design tools like color, type, and layout to make my message easier to read?
Marketing communications succeed to the extent they are designed to satisfy the reader, not the association, firm, or individual sending the message.
10. Call to action
Both
Internet and print advertising succeed when there is a clearly identified call to action and when it is easy for the reader to respond.
- Direct-mail
succeeds to the extent it contains toll-free 800 telephone numbers and self-addressed/postage-paid envelopes.
- Brochures
and newspaper advertisements succeed when they feature large addresses and maps showing how to reach the business.
Likewise, Internet marketing succeeds when mechanisms are provided for the reader to register (making themselves available for later messages), order the product via e-mail or contact the advertiser to request
further information.
Test yourself
Ask yourself these questions when evaluating your print and Internet communications:
- Is each document and my web site organized around a central theme?
- Do my communications consistently create a distinct image in the reader's mind?
- Do the front pages of my print communications, and my Internet Home Page, provide reasons for the readers to continue reading?
- Is my use of color decorative or functional?
- Do I constantly tease my readers into reading on?
- Is my message easy to read, broken into small, bite-sized chunks?
- Do my communications appeal to my readers' self-interests?
