Banner Blindness

Definition

Banner Blindness is a phenomenon where website visitors consciously or subconsciously ignore banner-like information on a webpage. This can be either advertorial or non-advertorial content. The term was coined by Benway and Lane in 1998 after a study showing that users tend to overlook information presented in banners, even when it is relevant to their task.

Usage and Context

Banner Blindness is a common issue in the field of web design and digital marketing. It occurs when users become so inundated with ads and banners that they start ignoring these areas of a website, reducing the effectiveness of these marketing efforts. This can be particularly problematic for businesses that rely on banner ads for revenue or for disseminating important information.

FAQ

What causes Banner Blindness?

Users have developed Banner Blindness as a coping mechanism to deal with the overwhelming amount of ads and banners on the internet. It's a way for them to focus on the content they are actually interested in.

How to overcome Banner Blindness?

To overcome Banner Blindness, marketers can use tactics like native advertising, which blends ads more seamlessly into the content, or remarketing, which targets users with ads for products they've already shown interest in.

Related Software

There are several software solutions that can help marketers overcome Banner Blindness, like Adblock Plus and Ghostery, which allow users to block unwanted ads, and tools like Google AdSense and Facebook Ads Manager, which allow marketers to create more targeted and relevant ads.

Benefits

Understanding and overcoming Banner Blindness can lead to more effective marketing campaigns. By creating ads that are relevant, unobtrusive, and engaging, businesses can increase their chances of capturing users' attention and ultimately, driving conversions.

Conclusion

While Banner Blindness presents a challenge for marketers, it also offers an opportunity to improve. By understanding why users ignore ads and using this knowledge to create better, more user-friendly ads, businesses can turn Banner Blindness into a competitive advantage.