That kid also knows that most of the people in the cars aren't on their way to the local pizza place. Most of the people probably aren't even hungry. But some of the people driving by just might change direction after seeing a giant dancing piece of pepperoni waving at them. Maybe.

That's what a banner ad is like.

A banner ad is an ad in the shape of a banner (long and skinny). You'll usually see a banner ad at the top of a website, trying to lure you away from the website you've gone to. If you click on the banner ad –- as the banner ad will usually tell you to do –- you get whisked away from the website you originally went to, and end up on the banner ad's website.

And unlike the kid in the pepperoni suit who waves at everybody whether or not they're even hungry, the really smart banner ads are strategic. So if you're searching for running shoes, you won't see a banner ad for lipstick. Instead, you'll see an ad for running shoes, or maybe running shorts, since those are related.

But why would someone let someone else put a banner ad on their website if the banner ad is specifically designed to lure people away? That's like Jake's Pizza letting someone from Zeke's Pizza stand at their door trying to get them to go to Zeke's place instead.

The answer is cash. If you want to put a banner on someone's site, you have to pay them to do so. Then, if your banner actually entices someone to leave site A to go to your site, at least the person who runs site A will have been paid by you for having your banner ad on their site.

So a banner ad simply tries to get you to go somewhere you weren't originally going.

And that's why a banner ad is like the kid in the pepperoni suit.

Copyright (c) Grant Pasay 2005. All rights reserved.