Fig. 4.2 Warby Parker digital ads
» Focus group participants understood how from a brand standpoint, online advertisements are necessary to promote products, and that advertisements keep web services free to use. However, they still felt that advertisements can be very irritating, especially when they prevent you from performing an action (like reading an article or performing a search). They agreed that subtlety is better than over-the-top, and those advertisements that try too hard for attention are instinctively avoided, almost out of spite. They also felt that they did not like being “tricked” by native advertisements like sponsored content that appear to be real content. They also stated they are wary of the “cookie trail” of data they leave behind by viewing products online, and despite feeling a little “creeped out” by personalized ads following them on the Internet, they felt it was better to see content relevant to them than completely random products. When focus group participants were shown two contrasting banner ads for web service Squarespace (Fig 4.1), they felt that both of the clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons were effective in potentially inducing a click. However, they felt the “Try it free” messaging was more effective than “Get started”, because “Try it free” implied less commitment. When comparing the banner ad vs. Facebook ad for Warby Parker (Fig. 4.2), participants liked the Facebook module’s ability to let you scroll through various products without being redirected to the website. Though they both showed the same amount of products, the Facebook ad was more effective.
The Design of Effective Digital Marketing: Results 25