What are the different types of banner ads?
These are the three basic types of banner ads:
- Flash Banner Ads
These ads feature smooth animation and allow the user to interact with the ad by clicking, rolling over, and/or by typing on the keyboard. Flash banner ads are the type of ad you can make on Canned Banners. [click to view example]. Read more about Flash banner ads below. - Animated GIF Ads
These ads allow for primitive animation, but no user interaction except for clicking. This is different from a JPEG, which doesn’t allow animation. [click to view example] - Static Banner Ads
These have no animation. They are simply one still image, and almost always in JPEG or GIF format. [click to view example]
What is a Flash banner ad?
Flash* banner ads use a combination of animation and interactivity. The file format for Flash ads is a SWF — this is the file Canned Banners will send when you create your banners. Viewing Flash ads is possible by installing the Flash browser plug-in.
Because of the smooth animation and interactivity of Flash ads, they are usually more effective than other types of banner ads. They are better at attracting a user’s attention and retaining it for longer. The biggest downside to Flash was that, until Canned Banners, it took longer and was more expensive to design and develop Flash ads than it was to create less effective static or animated GIF ads. But with Canned Banners, if you’ve got a few minutes, you can build your own professional-quality Flash banner ad. Browse our banner gallery and start building your banner!
Do all websites support Flash ads?
No. Almost all major ad networks and websites support Flash, but some websites still only support GIF or JPEG ads. Check with your ad network or media company, or check directly with the website(s) you intend to advertise on.
Rich media ads
Rich media ads are a more sophisticated type of Flash ad. They can do things like expand over the content of a web page, play videos, and interact with external systems like Twitter or a database. Canned Banners does not currently allow you to make rich media ads, but we might in the future. Let us know what you’d like to see.
Read about different banner ad sizes »
* Flash is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
