Digitisation has contrived numerous opportunities that never existed before. Businesses now rely on websites to maximise their reach, but they can now generate money via alternative options too apart from their core business revenue. Ad placement is one of them. Let’s get to know more about it.
What is Ad placement?
In its simplest form, ad placement means the group of ad units that designate the specific areas on the website where advertisers can allocate their ads. The ad placement criteria include the type, size, and location of the ads. Below are some examples of ad placements:
- 728×90 (size in pixels) – Placed above the main content
- 300×250 (size in pixels) – Placed in-feed
Each ad network comes with its own placement criteria. Some allow publishers to define their custom placement criteria, while others offer automatically created placement options.
Types of Ads and Placements
Before knowing the best ad placement practices, it is better to understand the basics of ad types. The ad comes in multiple formats and sizes, ranging from full page to small square. Listed below are the commonly used ads:
Full page
The below image depicts the layout chosen for a full-page ad. At the sides, you can see a full-page space for ad placements. These ads go above and below the fold, making them the most expensive ad types.
Half-page ads are generally quite expensive due to the ample space they occupy. Publications often use them to show sponsors. You can see the example below for a better understanding:
Credit: Forbes.com
This type of ad pops when you start consuming the content relevant to the ad. Sometimes, large-sized ads can majorly impact social media platforms such as YouTube.
Banner ads
These ads are often displayed on web pages, and they typically appear in the top, side, or bottom sections of websites. You can either buy the ad space as you will do in a newspaper, or publishers broker their ad space via ad networks.
They can be vertical (also known as skyscraper) and horizontal in shape.
Large square
These can generally be seen at the sides of website pages or SERP:
Small square
Though they are small in size (only 200×200 pixels) but can help your audience remember a product relevant to the content or previous searches:
They are often below the fold or found at the sides.
Ad Layout and Placement
Now that we know about all the ad types, it is time to learn about ad placement or layout. When it comes to ad placements, there are two key terms that you need to know: above the fold and below the fold.
Above the Fold (AF)
In this placement, ads are displayed first, which means viewers can see them without scrolling down. Since this part of the page is immediately seen by users, it makes them expensive.
Another example of above the fold placement:
Below the Fold (BF)
Placing ads below the fold may seem like a bad idea, but then it is a cost-effective way to catch users’ attention. As the viewers read the content, you can place these ads to complement it based on previous searches. Below is an example:
Why is Ad Placement Important?
When planning an online campaign, advertisers generally focus on creating a catchy ad, but the ad placement is equally important. An ad can be great, but it will suffer low viewability if it is not placed in the right place. This way, ad placement can make or break your ad campaign.
Publishers should design websites with spaces that can attract advertisers. Advertisers may not bid for your space if your ad space is tucked in a corner or hidden below the fold.
Tips for finding the best ad placement on your mobile app
In-App advertising has emerged as the most popular app monetisation strategy. You can optimise your app for ad placement, and you are good to go. Think about monetisation right from the beginning. When designing your mobile app, choose the best monetisation model. You can also take the help of a mobile app development services provider. Given below are two main criteria for in-app advertising optimisation:
Optimise for viewability
When selecting the ad format for your app, always consider the size of the ad and the screen size. When designing the UX of your mobile app, always consider the spaces where the ads can have a higher viewability.
Optimise for revenue
This means optimising to get many clicks is completely possible. Create a robust revenue model first and classify the ads as per the pricing. Many advertisers pay per click, some pay per conversion or impression.
Tips for Ad Placements to Drive Results
Multisize ads placements
Use a variety of ad sizes to maximise returns on your pages. It is because different types of advertisers need different formats. Add rich media, video, display, and in-feed ads so you can offer a perfect blend that can work for a broad set of advertisers.
Sticky ads
This innovative ad type stays afloat when a user is scrolling through your webpage. This factor enhances the ad viewability, resulting in a higher yield. However, not all networks allow sticky ads, so it is advisable to seek the advice of a best android app development company.
Ad refresh
Based on triggers, these ads generate more revenue by refreshing ads on a page as long as the user is active. This boosts the number of impressions and the click-through rate of the ad.
Lazy loading
With this feature, ads are served only after a specific trigger, for example, when scrolling down. This makes the website or mobile app easier to load, enhancing the user experience.
Let Sortd Experts Help
The above-mentioned tips and considerations will help you get the most out of your ad placement. However, optimisation and monetisation need some skills and time. Moreover, you have to research and analyse user intent too. If you feel confused at any point in time, Sortd can help. We can design apps with the best mobile cross platform framework and enrich your website with text ads, display ads or other kinds of ads that are relevant to your audience. This in turn will boost your ad revenue. Always feel free to reach out to us!
