Danny Andrawes 10 January 2019

Tips On How To Create Strong Display Ads and Campaigns

Top Display Ad Tips – Display ads enable brands to reach users all across email, news, video, and social websites on mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Display strategies re-engage existing site visitors, target prospective new customers and ultimately drive incremental conversions and revenue. As you refine and review your display strategy, here are some top tips to keep in mind.

What Are Display Ads?

Display ads are visual advertisements that appear on websites, apps, or social media platforms as part of an advertising network. These ads come in various formats, such as banners, images, videos, and interactive content, and are designed to capture the attention of users and encourage them to take specific actions, like clicking on the ad to learn more or make a purchase.

Display ads are typically used to raise brand awareness, promote products or services, or re-engage visitors who may have previously interacted with a business. They are a powerful tool for reaching a wide audience across various websites, targeting users based on factors like demographics, interests, location, and online behaviour.

In Australia, businesses use display ads as part of their broader digital marketing strategy to reach potential customers who may not be actively searching for their products but can still be influenced through eye-catching visuals and compelling messaging.

Who offers display ads?

Display ads are offered by several platforms and ad networks, making it easier for businesses to reach their target audience across a variety of websites and apps.

Here are some of the key players that provide display ads:

  • Google Ads (Google Display Network)Google Ads is one of the largest and most popular platforms for display ads. Through the Google Display Network (GDN), advertisers can show display ads on millions of websites, apps, and YouTube. It allows advertisers to target users based on demographics, interests, and online behaviors.
  • Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads – Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, offer display ads that appear in users’ feeds, stories, and on the sidebars of the platform. They are highly targeted, enabling businesses to reach specific audience segments based on location, interests, and behaviors.
  • Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) – Microsoft Advertising allows display ads to appear on the Microsoft Audience Network, which includes sites like MSN, Outlook, and other partner websites. This platform also provides targeting options to help advertisers reach the right audience.
  • LinkedIn Ads – LinkedIn offers display ads through its LinkedIn Marketing Solutions platform. These ads can appear on the LinkedIn feed, sidebar, or as sponsored content in members’ inboxes. They are ideal for B2B marketing and targeting professionals by job title, industry, and company.
  • Amazon Advertising – Amazon offers display ads across its own platform, allowing businesses to advertise products directly on Amazon. Additionally, Amazon’s display ads extend to third-party sites through its demand-side platform (DSP), reaching a broader audience.
  • AdRoll – AdRoll is a retargeting platform that offers display ads, email marketing, and social media ad solutions. It’s often used by eCommerce businesses to target users who have previously visited their website but didn’t convert.
  • Taboola and Outbrain – Both Taboola and Outbrain are native ad networks that allow businesses to place display ads in the form of recommended content on various websites. These platforms help drive traffic to blogs, articles, and videos.
  • Criteo – Criteo is a global ad network specializing in retargeting. It serves personalized display ads based on a user’s browsing history, helping businesses bring back potential customers who showed interest but didn’t make a purchase.
  • Pinterest Ads – Pinterest offers Promoted Pins, which are display ads that appear in users’ feeds and search results. These ads can be images, videos, or carousels, allowing businesses to reach an audience interested in inspiration, products, or services.

These and other cost-per-click / CPC adverting platforms offer display ads. They do this to help businesses reach specific audiences, drive traffic and increase brand awareness. In Australia, these services are widely used by many different businesses, across various industries, to drive customer engagement and conversion.

Consolidate your ad activity

Utilise a cross-channel and cross-device strategy

Each and every day your users traverse the internet. They may surf the Sydney Morning Herald on their mobile on their way to work, browse Facebook on their desktop at lunch, and flick through Instagram when they have a few moments to spare. Users are everywhere, and therefore cross-device and channel campaigns are smarter and more efficient.

Let’s consider a consumer who browses your products on their mobile in the evening, and returns to your site on their desktop the next day. Without the ability to map these two devices to one user, we would consider these two separate consumers who are casually interested in your products, and bids would be set accordingly.

Display Ads   The Guardian

Display Ads – The Guardian

Instead, AdRoll cross-device technology equips us with the knowledge that a single shopper is close to purchasing, and we will bid higher for that user to ensure that shopper ultimately converts.

Running a cross-channel and cross-device strategy provides a holistic view of the customer path to conversion, and allows you to combine and consolidate efforts to reach the broader business goals. AdRoll enables the orchestration of display, social ads, and email all through a single platform.

Understand Your Display Ads Goals

Define different KPIs for each stage of the funnel

Before launching display campaigns, ensure that you have a clear idea of what you are looking to achieve. Is your goal to bring back loyal customers,convert current site visitors,or drive new audiences to your site? If you are looking to achieve a combination of these goals, ensure that you set different KPIs to each stage of the funnel in order to accurately measure success.

For example, you may want to consider a Cost Per New Visitor KPI to measure the success of your efforts to attract new quality visitors to site, whereas you might want to consider a Cost Per Acquisition goal to measure the success of converting existing site visitors.

Optimise creative for Display Ads

Test Ad Styles, Formats and Content

Display ads come in all different kinds of shapes, sizes and formats. Some ads will perform better than others for different stages of the funnel, different campaigns, and even for different individual users.

Consider running dynamic and static ads side by side to A/B test these different formats. You may find that dynamic works better for high intent users, and static ads for upper funnel. For social, consider running both link ads and carousel ads. For web, consider running the 6 most popular ad sizes (300×250, 728×90, 160×600, 970×250, 300×600, and 320×50) in order to maximise reach and access more inventory.

Display Ad Example - Go Cabinets by OMG

Display Ad Example – Go Cabinets

Beyond the ad size and format, A/B testing the ad content itself is vital. Consider the below best practices:

  • Colourful, eye-catching creative tends to perform best.
    Utilising visually compelling colours, products and faces ensures that your ad stands out in its environment.
  • Include a strong Call To Action.
    Using a strong call to action such as “Buy Now”, “Sign Up Today” or “Shop Now” tells your customer what the next step is, and tells them what to expect when they click on your ad.
  • Keep messaging clear, simple, and easy to understand at a glance.
    You have one second to get your message across and capture attention. Make sure a potential customer is able to understand who you are and what you do at a glance. Also consider that many users do not click on display ads, so include enough information to enable them to navigate to the site later in the day or week, even when they don’t have an ad in front of them.
  • Consider content relevant to different stages of the customer lifecycle.
    Remember that upper funnel users may not have heard of your brand before, whereas high intent users are likely very familiar with your offering, and loyalty customers have already purchased from your site before. As a result, the messaging that you present to users at various stages should be different.

In addition, here are a few important factors to keep in mind as you set up your display ad campaign

As you set up your campaign, keep these points in mind as well:

  • Target Audience – Define who you want to reach based on demographics, interests, and online behavior.
  • Ad Creatives – Use eye-catching visuals and compelling messaging that align with your brand.
  • Ad Placement – Choose relevant websites, apps, and networks to maximize visibility.
  • Bidding Strategy – Set competitive bids that align with your budget and campaign goals.
  • Landing Page Experience – Ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions with a seamless user experience.
  • Retargeting Strategy – Engage previous visitors with tailored messaging to drive conversions.
  • Performance Tracking – Monitor impressions, clicks, and conversions to refine your strategy over time.

By focusing on these elements, your display ad campaign can effectively boost brand awareness, engagement, and sales.

How to Make Effective Display Ads?

Creating high-performing display ads requires a combination of strategic design, compelling messaging, and precise targeting.

Here’s how businesses in Australia can craft effective display ads that drive engagement and conversions:

Use Eye-Catching Visuals:

  • Choose high-quality images or graphics that align with your brand.
  • Maintain a clean and uncluttered design to avoid overwhelming viewers.
  • Use contrasting colors to make key elements stand out.

Craft a Clear and Compelling Message:

  • Keep text short and to the point—ideally under 10 words.
  • Highlight your unique selling point (USP) or offer (e.g., “50% Off Today!”).
  • Use a sense of urgency (e.g., “Limited Time Offer”).

Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA):

  • Use actionable language like “Shop Now,” “Get Started,” or “Learn More.”
  • Ensure the CTA is clearly visible and stands out from the rest of the ad.

Optimize for Different Devices:

  • Ensure ads are mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of display ad traffic comes from mobile users.
  • Test different ad sizes and formats for desktop, tablet, and mobile screens.

Target the Right Audience:

  • Use demographic, geographic, and behavioral targeting to reach the most relevant audience.
  • Leverage retargeting ads to engage users who have previously visited your site.

A/B Test and Optimize:

  • Run multiple versions of your ads to see which performs best.
  • Adjust elements like headline, image, CTA, and color scheme based on performance data.

Keep Load Speed in Mind:

  • Optimize file sizes to ensure quick loading, preventing ad fatigue and drop-offs.

By following these best practices, Australian businesses can create high-impact display ads that attract attention, engage audiences, and drive conversions.

How Successful Are Display Ads?

Display ads can be highly successful when executed strategically, but their effectiveness depends on factors like targeting, design, and campaign goals.

Here’s what businesses in Australia should know about display ad performance:

Success Depends on Campaign Objectives

  • For brand awareness: Display ads excel at increasing visibility, with millions of impressions possible at a low cost.
  • For lead generation & conversions: While display ads generally have lower click-through rates (CTR) than search ads, retargeting can significantly improve conversion rates.

Industry Benchmarks & Performance Metrics

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): Average CTR for display ads is around 0.3%–0.5%, but well-optimized ads can achieve higher engagement.
  • Conversion Rates: Retargeted display ads can increase conversion rates by up to 70% compared to first-time visitors.
  • Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Successful display campaigns often achieve 2x–5x ROAS, depending on targeting and ad quality.

Key Factors That Impact Success

  • Audience Targeting: The more precise your targeting (demographics, interests, retargeting), the better the performance.
  • Ad Quality & Design: Well-designed, engaging ads with clear CTAs drive higher engagement.
  • Bidding Strategy: Choosing the right bidding model (Target CPA, Maximize Conversions, or Viewable CPM) impacts cost efficiency.

Display Ads vs. Other Digital Channels

  • Lower CTR than search ads, but they are more effective for brand awareness and retargeting.
  • Complementary to SEO & social media—display ads help keep your brand visible while other channels drive organic engagement.

What Is the Best Bid Strategy for Display Ads?

Choosing the right bid strategy for display ads depends on your campaign goals, budget, and audience.

Overview of the most effective bidding strategies for Australian businesses running display advertising:

Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) – Best for Conversions

  • Ideal for: Businesses focused on lead generation or sales.
  • How it works: AI-driven bidding adjusts bids automatically to get conversions at your set target cost per acquisition.
  • Benefit: Maximizes conversions while controlling costs.

Maximize Conversions – Best for Automating Bidding

  • Ideal for: Advertisers wanting to get the most conversions within their budget.
  • How it works: Google optimizes bids to drive as many conversions as possible based on historical data.
  • Benefit: Hands-free bidding that adapts to performance trends.

Enhanced CPC (Cost-Per-Click) – Best for Balanced Control

  • Ideal for: Businesses wanting manual bid control with AI optimization.
  • How it works: Google adjusts manual bids slightly to increase the likelihood of a conversion.
  • Benefit: A good mix of automation and manual oversight.

Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – Best for Maximizing Revenue

  • Ideal for: eCommerce businesses focused on revenue over clicks.
  • How it works: AI adjusts bids to maximize conversion value based on your desired return on ad spend.
  • Benefit: Ensures you’re spending efficiently while maximizing profits.

Viewable CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions) – Best for Brand Awareness

  • Ideal for: Brand awareness campaigns where visibility matters most.
  • How it works: You pay for impressions, but only when your ad is actually viewed.
  • Benefit: Ensures budget is spent on ads that people see.

Manual CPC – Best for Full Control

  • Ideal for: Advanced advertisers who want to set individual bid amounts.
  • How it works: You manually set your max CPC for each ad placement.
  • Benefit: Maximum control, but requires constant monitoring.

Which Bid Strategy Should You Choose?

  • For sales & lead generation: Target CPA or Maximize Conversions.
  • For revenue-focused campaigns: Target ROAS.
  • For brand awareness: Viewable CPM.
  • For control & optimization: Enhanced CPC or Manual CPC.

When choosing the correct bidding strategy for your business, Australian brands and companies can optimize ad spend, improve ROI, and achieve better results with their display advertising campaigns.

Are Display Ads Worth It?

Yes—when optimized correctly, display ads can drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversions, especially when combined with a retargeting strategy and data-driven optimization.

You may also want to review our Ultimate Guide to Google Display Network

Our highly capable Australian based SEO agency and leading digital marketing firm in Australia can help set up and monitor any Pay Per Click campaign you wish to create.

About the Author

Danny Andrawes

Danny Andrawes, Chief Executive Officer of OMG, plays a pivotal role in shaping the agency's strategic direction. With nearly 20 years of experience, he progressed from Content Specialist and Digital SEO Specialist to CEO, leveraging his impressive background in SEO/SEM delivery, client acquisition and retention, and change management to enhance OMG's service offerings. Danny’s leadership emphasises client partnerships and the integration of cutting-edge tools to optimise digital campaigns, positioning OMG as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide.

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