Investing in good Search Engine Optimization and Paid-Per-Click advertising is important to your business, but display advertising offers another avenue that your business should consider in its marketing strategy.

While SEO and paid-per-click advertising offers your business searchability, they can be limited in their scope. For example, you’re a small business that specializes in formal attire and matching accessories. A woman has an upcoming black-tie party and she’d love a new outfit, but she isn’t actively shopping for one. As she’s browsing the latest health news on the Huffington Post, a visual ad showcasing the latest dress styles shows up, along with a current sale. Once seeing the ad, she might remember that she has that upcoming party and she may visit your site to see what you have to offer.

Display advertising is a great way to encourage brand recognition and while the visitor might not purchase an item during their first visit, they’ve been exposed to the brand and they’re now aware of what your business can offer them. The next time they think of making a purchase, they may remember your ad.

Display advertising is also a much more visual experience, which is great for businesses that offer retail options, but it can also be effective for limited time sales. Scarcity has an all encompassing effect and your mind focuses on it, according to the authors of Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. It’s part of the reason why Groupon captured early success with its flash sales that showed a clock ticking down to when the sale is over. You’re more likely to purchase a product when you know there’s a limited amount of time left since you don’t want to miss out on the deal.

Also, display advertising allows you more freedom on different ad sizes, different placements on a page, different mediums, whether you decide to stick with images, text or video, and different mediums. It’s a chance to let your creative shine in the web world.

While display advertising click-through rates may be low, according to a study by Pretarget and Comscore, it might be best to optimize your ads for impressions, which is when someone views your ad, and cost-per-engagement, which is when a person hovers over an ad to enlarge it and see the details. One way to prevent any accidental engagements is through a two-second hover delay which is offered in Google’s ads.

Meanwhile, researchers are looking into how effective display advertising is with mobile since more and more people are reading on their phones. According to a recent experiment conducted by U.S. professors, display advertising is more effective for products that are deemed to be “high involvement” and utilitarian. This means that goods which you invest more money to invest in, which means more research into the product before making a purchase, but products that are also practical to your life. An example of this might be a car or a mini-van.

If your goal is to increase your brand exposure and advertise for a special limited time promotion, display advertising may be the way to go. GrowthEngine Media knows how to use display ads appropriately to help you grow your business. We are your trusted expert and advocate in an ever-changing digital environment and we offer a tailored online ad campaign to help you increase brand awareness and direct qualified leads to your website. Let GrowthEngine Media’s knowledge and expertise speak for itself. Call us today at 416.318.5373 to find out more about our services.