A few days ago, the guys at isocket tweeted about a recent article in MarketingVOX. This article may be of interest to OpenX ad server users, in particular, this part:
Smaller online ads may be more effective than larger counterparts, a new study by Dynamic Logic found.
The study shows that ad shape and placement may be more important than size. Half banners, at 234 x 60, and 180 x 150 rectangles were shown to be more effective than ads that frame the page, like high-profile leaderboards and skyscrapers. It is possible that users no longer see such framing ads because they have developed “banner blindness.”
In addition, smaller ads may be more effective because they tend to be better incorporated into the content of Web pages.
If you’re an OpenX user, then you know how much easier OpenX makes your life when it comes to delivering banners into your web site(s). However, it’s important to remember that if you’re looking to generate income from a site, then you should be thinking about maximizing that revenue — and if you are, you can’t simply set up your website once, and only experiment with different banners and ad networks. You also need to think about your site design, the banner sizes you have and where those banners are positioned. Unless you experiment with your site and banners, you won’t really be sure if you are maximizing your revenue.
Sure, it certainly takes more effort than just swapping banners in OpenX, but it can be worth it.
Along the same lines, OpenX community member and consultant Erik Geurts has a great post up about 7 common problems with landing pages, which is also worth reading, and may help you in your site and banner experiments in the search for improved advertising revenues.