If your goal is to deliver your message to a targeted audience, nothing is more effective than the Internet. The adage "build it and they will come" rings true with the Web. It enables you to deliver direct messages to your audience and develop relationships with individual consumers. Not only that, it is extremely cost effective when performed on a large scale. But if you lack fresh content or other resources for the multitude of surfers online—they won't stay—and they won't come back.

Demographics show that the Web boasts quite a desirable audience. According to Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), 65 percent of Web users have an annual household income above $50,000 and 75 percent attended or graduated from college. Approximately 42 percent are female, and the average user is 34.9 years old. According to market sage Jupiter Communications, growth on the World Wide Web is exploding. The company projects that online revenue will reach $7.7 billion by 2002.

By targeting your content through highly focused advertising environments, you can reach the market you want. The Internet is loaded with sites catering to specific interests. It's highly probable that there is a site out there that closely matches the interests of your target audience, and is looking for advertisers.

What can an online ad do?
An online advertisement can create the maximum effect if your marketing efforts involve any of the following strategies: introducing, branding, promoting a product or service, generating leads, announcing new products, or establishing an online presence. The ad meets the eyes of potential customers head-on. And whether they click on your ad or not, you still get exposure, which in-turn builds brand awareness and company recognition among a general audience.

Real, measurable benefits
The greatest advantage of Web advertising over traditional media is the ability to track, via impressions, the number of people who see your ad. Impressions are the number of times a reader is exposed to your banner. Other forms of media can only provide estimates based on circulation or a projected number of TV viewers or radio listeners.

If your goal is to build awareness, you should strive to maximize the number of people who see your ad. But remember that the number will vary depending on the scope your audience. Obviously, the more specific the targeted audience, the lower the overall numbers will be, but your ad will be more effective among those it does reach.

Advertising objectives can change with your campaign. Be sure to evaluate your goals at the beginning of each new ad campaign.

Generating response, usually defined as driving traffic to your site, is especially important if you are launching a new product or online presence. If your main goal is driving people to your site, you must make your banner message enticing. Point out a special offer, grab their attention, or spark their curiosity. Don't highlight a product's benefits—this can be done effectively once the visitors reach your site. Make their visits worthwhile: when people find something relevant at the end of a click, they're more likely to click again.

Generating response goes a long way with creating awareness, so be sure to include your logo in the banner.

Measure the click through rate
Traditionally, direct response is the most quantifiable form of advertising. But even direct-response ads can't compare with what you can accomplish on the Web. On the Net, you can measure not only how many times your ad is delivered, but also the number of clicks the ad generates. The percentage of impressions resulting in clicks is your click through rate, which is a good indication of response.

Typical click through rates for banner ads range from one to five percent. The rates are affected by many factors, including what is advertised (the breadth of your product's appeal), how it's advertised (the quality of your ad), and where the ad runs. Some sites offer daily click-through reports so you can evaluate each ad's response rate and modify your program for maximum efficacy.

Don't rely entirely on click through rates when judging your ad's effectiveness. You should also look at page hits (that is, the average number of pages visitors see when they reach your site) and any action or interactivity on those pages.

Drive sales
Web ads can effectively convince people to take action when they visit your site-to make a purchase, enter a contest, fill out a survey, or otherwise volunteer information. This technique is often called conversion. To achieve conversion, your banner must persuade people to do something once they reach your site. Be sure the advertised action appears on the first page they reach. Conversion occurs only when your site delivers what your ad promises.

To drive sales to a general audience, try to establish a need for your company's product or service. To drive sales to a targeted audience, provide a clear, immediate solution that potential customers can't do without.

The Internet hasn't changed the basic premise of advertising, but it has added a new dynamic twist to what we know as traditional advertising strategies. To get the most out of your Internet advertising, you need to understand the Web and advertising. Keeping up with the Web advertising market isn't easy but the potential benefit is huge. Make sure visitors have a reason to come to your site, a reason to stay at your site, and a reason to come back. Then stay on top by tracking and maximizing the results.