Neuromarketers use eye-tracking to measure advertising effectiveness. Eye-tracking is a sensor technology that measures where attention goes and what gets ignored. Studies show people look at faces and have a natural tendency to follow the gaze of others. When using a photo, look for images where the person in the picture looks at your copy, not away from it. For deeper insights, read “Eye Gaze Cannot Be Ignored.”

We were taught to read from left to right. When reading ad copy, we follow the pattern. The top-left copy gets attention first, and headlines are likely to be read in their entirety. After taking in the headline, we skim along the left side until we reach the bottom. If we diagrammed activity, we would see that reading an ad often follows the path of an inverted L. To generate clicks, keep reading patterns in mind. Start copy with essential benefits to keep people reading and be sure the call to action is evident when people skim.

Space is always at a premium in display ads. When developing ads for clients, the most critical questions asked by the StudioSP team is, “Why will this image motivate people to click?” By forcing ourselves to answer that question, we avoid deadweight imagery – which we define as all graphic elements that look pretty but distract the audience from the real purpose of the ad.

Amy Balliett is the founder of Killer Visual Strategies in Seattle, Washington, and wrote a book by the same name. In it, she shares eight rules for visual communication. Rule number one is, “Always think about con-text. It’s a con when there’s too much text.” Amy recommends designing with visuals first, placing lorem ipsum text where the copy will go. This strategy forces you to think first about persuading people visually. It’s a smart strategy for getting clicks.

In a research article on brand familiarity, The Association for Consumer Research reported, “Brand name is an inherent product characteristic and is considered a significant factor influencing consumers’ perceptions. The salience of brand name is well acknowledged because consumers often use brand name as a major cue - sometimes, the only cue - in making purchase decisions.” The moral of this story is to place your logo, so it is visible and prominent.