Text ads are a thing of the past now. We are so acclimated to seeing text ads that our brains literally ignore them. According to a recent study, less than 18% of internet users actually see ads that are shown in the conventional way as we simply keep our eyes on the actual content of a page and have no reason to look anywhere else. Animated ads have changed this.
It’s pretty hard to ignore something that’s popping out of the screen or moving about so animated ads are becoming the new go-to way to promote your product or service online. Whether it’s a banner ad or an ad displayed on Google AdWords, animations get far more attention.
People who know the importance of animated ads often have trouble trying to figure out what their options are. Just like a heart surgeon will always link your problem back to the heart, a 3D animator will tell you that 3D animations are the best and a Flash animator will do the same for his animations. Here’s a short guide that will help your distinguish between the many types of animations and hopefully pick out a winner.
Flash Animations
What they are
By-far the most popular form of animation being used online right now. Flash animations are created using Adobe Flash and let you animate images or text and add sound to your animations.
The Good
Since Flash is the most popular form of animation, it will be really easy to find a Flash animator at a good price.
The Bad
Flash animations require a flash player plugin to work. This means a visitor’s browser needs to have the flash player plugin installed or they won’t be able to see the ads. The plugin is known to be prone to crashing and is often the cause of slow website loading times. A biggie here is that iOS devices don’t support Flash so people won’t be able to see your ads on iPhones, Macs or iPads.
3D Animations
What they are
Created on software like 3D Max and Autodesk Maya, 3D animations are what you see in video games and all those superhero movies.
The Good
They look very good and the possibilities of what you can depict are endless.
The Bad
3D animations are very expensive and cannot be used for Google Adwords or website banners. You can put them on your website but they would have to be rendered as a video.
Animated GIFs
What they are
A GIF is basically a series of images put together so it looks like they are moving. Animated GIFs do the same thing with animations.
The Good
GIFs are normally a very small size and load on any browser or system, very fast.
The Bad
The scope of animation for a GIF is very limited. The finished product also normally gives a low quality feel to the visitor.
HTML5 Animations
What they are
HTML5 animations are created in Adobe Edge which can create full-fledge animations with sound.
The Good
HTML5 animated banners can be placed on any website and Google Adwords where they load without the need of any third-party plugin. The animation options are unlimited and the file sizes are the smallest with very high quality.
The Bad
As it is a very recent technology, it’s pretty hard to find people who are experts at HTML5 animation. (Incidentally, we are one of the few companies who have been doing HTML5 animations for a while now!)
So those are your options. Keep in mind that the first time most people will see your company is through your ads so make sure they are of the best quality is extremely important. We hope this guide has helped you in your search for the right animation ad. Good luck!
