The Dos and Don’ts of Designing a Banner

Banner advertisements are a great way for businesses to convey a lot of important information to their target audience at once. You can use them to show off goods, products, or services or to advertise an event like a sale or grand opening. Whatever you decide to use your banner for, you should use your banner’s real estate wisely. To help you create the best banner possible and attract customers, let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts of designing a banner.

Do: Include Company Name, Logo, and Color Palette

The main purpose of your banner is to draw attention to your business. Therefore, if you’re business’s name and logo aren’t on your banner, you’re losing precious brand awareness potential. Brands and businesses such as Starbucks and Walmart can get away with leaving just their names or logos on print advertisements because they’re so well known. Conversely, smaller businesses don’t have that luxury.

Also, the colors you use should match the color palette of your brand. Color plays a huge role in how people receive and remember your brand, so don’t forget to use them, especially if your brand uses bold, vibrant colors.

Don’t: Use Too Much Text

You may be tempted to include as much information as possible to show clients exactly what you do and what you’re offering. Many businesses try to stuff their number and all their social media handles, client services, and products onto one banner. The problem here is that crowded information looks bad on an aesthetic scale, and clients want to garner information at a glance. They don’t won’t want to read all that text!

Plus, when people are walking by your banner, they’re less likely to stop what they’re doing to read it if it’s too cluttered. Some people may take a picture to read it later, but that’s only if your banner really catches their attention, which can be rare. The faster and easier people can read your banner, the more likely its information will stick.

Don’t: Forget To Include a Call to Action

A call to action (CTA) doesn’t have to be one long sentence, but it should tell people what you want them to do. A CTA helps guide viewers in the right direction, gives them instructions, and encourages them to act. It can be as simple as a “Click here” or “Shop with us today.” Even better is a CTA that leads directly to a registration sheet, website, or menu through a URL or scannable barcode. Just make sure that whatever you lead people to looks just as good as your banner.

Do: Use Quality Materials

With how much time you spend designing your banner, you want it to come out just as crisp and vibrant as you envisioned it when you finally print it out. Not only does the printer have to be able to create high-quality images, but the banner material has to be durable and weatherproof. To print your banner, you’ll need to invest in a plotter printer or go to a print shop that has one. The good news is that plotter printers can print on a variety of materials, even the ones that you need to print banners, such as mesh vinyl, fabric, and polypropylene.

Following these dos and don’ts of designing a banner will help you create a sleek piece of print advertising that’s sure to attract customers.