Online Advertising Continues to Evolve

08/16/2004

More users make an online purchase after a simple ad impression than from a click-through, according to DoubleClick.

Still, it is important to note that the science of view-through tracking is imperfect as it can include activities unrelated to the initial viewing of the online ad impression, such as a user seeing an ad offline or going to a brand Web site with which he or she is already familiar.

A concurrently released study undertaken by DoubleClick in conjunction with Continental Airlines sought to answer the questions surrounding view-through tracking in a specific case using a control versus exposed methodology. The study determined that 67.5% of all view-through online conversions are the result of an online impression. This weakens the case that view-throughs are a more powerful force than click-throughs for online advertising, but they are certainly just as significant.

As for click-through rates, DoubleClick's study indicates that click-through rates for rich media (such as pop-ups, interstitials and ads with forms) are significantly higher than rates for non-rich media ads. For Q2 2004, rich media ads attained an average click-through rate of 1.17%, while non-rich media ads saw a click-through rate of 0.23%.

However, the CTR for rich media has also been declining since the end of 2002. The backlash against pop-up ads, and the increasing use of pop-up blockers has no doubt hurt CTR rates for rich media somewhat. Additionally, rich media ads now account for 42.7% of all ads served in Q2 2004, up from 34% a year ago, and their impact on users may be diluted, resulting in less click-throughs.

The rich media CTR of 1.17% for Q2 2004 represents a slight up tick from the previous quarter, but until next quarter, it's impossible to say whether this is an aberration or a reversal of the trend.

Source of Article: eMarketer

Date of Article: July 28, 2004