Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Load Your Banner Files and Landing Page URL
This step in the process is pretty self-explanatory. Each ad-server
tool has an interface that allows you to upload your files to their
servers. For each file you upload, you enter the URL (usually
referred to as the landing page URL) that users will be directed to
when they click on the banner. The URL that is entered here is the
URL that is passed in to the variable you may know as
“
clickTag
”
(see Chapter 4).
Test Your Banners
Test, test, and test. While writing this topic, I
ve come to notice just
how much testing we do on each and every banner that gets
created. I
'
ve also come to notice that the testing itself becomes
such second nature in the work that some of us may not even
realize just how often we
'
s not a bad thing by
any stretch of the imagination. As noted by this step, testing should
continue all the way through the life of a project, and testing the
banners at this point is very important because they are only a few
clicks away from being visible to the rest of the world.
'
re doing it, and that
'
Get the “Tag”
Once the banners have been uploaded and tested, it
'
stimeto
generate the
for the banner. The tag is basically a reference
back to the code that will house the banner. That code may be for
something like an iFrame or the JavaScript that will place the
banner on the page in which it will be shown. Different ad servers
may have slightly different steps for tag generation so you
“
tag
”
'
ll want
to check with yours for the exact process.
Send the
”
After the tag has been generated and everyone has approved the
banner, it
“
Tag
s time to take the final step in releasing your banner to
theworldbysendingthetagtothesitefromwhichyouhave
purchased your impressions. As I mentioned before, the tag is a
reference to a piece of code that will house your banner, and by
sending a tag to the site, you are not sending your actual files.
'
Tracking Your Ads
Afteryouradshavebeensetupinthead-servertools,thenext
thing to do after a predetermined amount of time has passed is
track their performance. Tracking the performance of your banners
can give you a wealth of information that can be used, in part, on
