Many banner ads are designed on a large monitor and viewed on a phone. Text that looks clear at full size can become unreadable when the banner shrinks to a few centimetres wide. A banner that cannot be read in a glance is easy to scroll past.
Say less
The most common problem is simply too much content. A readable banner usually needs only:
- One strong headline.
- One short supporting line.
- Three or four brief benefit points, if any.
- Your logo.
Everything else, such as full feature lists, long descriptions and small print, belongs on the landing page.
Use large, simple type
Choose a clean, bold typeface and make the headline large enough to read at phone size. Avoid thin or decorative fonts and long lines of small text.
Strong contrast, quiet backgrounds
Text needs to stand out from what is behind it. Busy photographs, gradients and glowing effects behind letters make them harder to read. Keep the area behind your text calm, with a solid or softly blurred background and a strong contrast between text and background.
Keep visuals simple
One clear image, such as a product, a device showing your service or a recognisable location, works better than many small elements competing for attention. Subtle background details are fine as long as they do not interfere with the text.
Plan space for the logo
Decide where your logo goes before adding other elements, and leave clear space around it.
Test at real size
Before publishing, view the banner on a phone, or shrink it on your screen to the size it will appear. If you have to zoom in to read anything, simplify.
Link to a matching page
A readable banner earns the click; a matching landing page earns the enquiry. Make sure every banner links to a page about the same offer.
Key takeaways
- Use one headline, one supporting line and a few short benefits at most.
- Keep backgrounds behind text calm, with strong contrast.
- Check every banner at phone size before publishing.