In a recent article, BusinessWeek reported about a survey done by TiVo to find the least fast-forwarded commercials.  As many of you might know, TiVo is a TV recording service that many households use to record their favorite shows.  Just like those ancient tapes, one of the advantages of TiVo, is its ability to skip right through commercials.  But unlike VHS tapes, TiVo actually knows what shows were recorded and which parts were skipped.

The survey that TiVo did can be extremely valuable to advertisers as they get extremely accurate information on how their commercials compare to others.  The less that people skip your commercials compared to other advertisers, the more attention viewers paid to the advertisement, and the better the advertisement.

Appearances are Not Always What They Seem

What do you think would be the most watched commercials?  Those funny beer commercials or just something really creative and different?  Well, they aren’t - by a long shot.  The winner wasn’t for a major brand but a furniture rental company - CORT Furniture Rentals.  And they aren’t the exception.  Most of the winning campaigns are direct ads - like CORT’s. 

One of the top campaigns was for Bowflex, the home-gym brand.  I’m sure that most people have seen their ads and no consider that to be in the league of expensive Super Bowl ads. 

So it’s not about having the most polished or creative campaign - it’s about providing a specific call-to-action and having the viewer act upon it.

What Does that Have to Do with Web Design?

One of the biggest problems we face when working with prospects and new clients is that they fall in love with the best looking web site, even if it’s not the most effective one.  More often than not, great looking web designs make very ineffective web sites. 

• It has no “call-to-action”
• It does not convey the benefits of the product or service
• Behind the design, it’s just the same content and structure as everyone else’s web sites
• There are too many messages being conveyed at one time

Do you know that some of the most effective websites are made up of just one main page, full of text.  There are no graphics, no animations, and no links to other pages.  It conveys one message and convinces the user to follow the desired call to action.

If you need more Bowflex in your Bud Light web design, give us a call at 1-877-316-5166.

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