Why your Web Ad isn't working as it Should Web ads are significantly different than TV ads - here's how
By Rustam Singh
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Ever wondered why your web ad isn't quite reahcing an audience as wide as you'd imagined? Curious why your ad is constantly ignored or skipped while western ads become viral on their own and are shared for their creative aspect itself? Turns out you're designing them wrong.
But don't fret, there's help at way.
Some statistics to help understand the Indian web population:
- A whopping 246 million urban users have internet in India, which makes the nation one of the largest nations around the world, and opens a world of opportunities
- 60% of the urban population has access to internet services
- On an average, an Indian digitally connected user will spend more time on their smart phone rather than TV
Issues why there's slow progress of digital outreach in India including:
- Data cost on cell phones is too high
- Lack of adaption of varied ad formats, for example, a video ad aired on TV will not be suitable for someone streaming a video and is forced to watch the same extended ad on YouTube.
- Most brands don't have the expertise in programming or a technical approach to ads to design those that work
- Lack of accurate measurement data to reveal impact and approach
Aashish Karnad, the Director of the media & digital solutions for South Asia division of the digital global research agency Millward Brown, told Entrepreneur India, "From a comprehensive research based on Indian users, the agency concluded that internet based ads work significantly differently than traditional ads. For example, an ad in the newspaper cannot simply be used on the web because the user will ignore it. An ad on TV will not work as great on a video sharing website like YouTube because the user has the option to skip it beyond 6 seconds."
Several factors distinguish ads that work against ads that don't in India:
- Humor works significantly more than other reasons
- A new product/service arouses curiosity
- A category of products/services which the user is interested in
- Reward based ads that give coupons or incentives make sure users click longer
What do you think of these tips, would they help you design smarter ads? Do you put a lot of thought into designing dedicated ads for the web? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India
