You’ve almost certainly seen display ads today without thinking about it the banner at the top of a news site, the image beside a recipe, the advert for a pair of trainers you looked at yesterday that now seems to follow you around the internet. That’s display advertising. For some businesses it’s a powerful way to stay visible; for others it’s money spent on adverts nobody notices.
This guide explains how display advertising works, where it fits alongside search and social ads, and how LightUpp’s Google Ads team https://lightupp.co.uk/online-ads/google-ads/ uses it for Glasgow businesses.
What Is Display Advertising?
Display advertising means visual adverts images, banners, animations or short videos shown on websites, apps and video platforms. Most are bought through the Google Display Network, which reaches millions of websites and apps, or through social platforms and programmatic networks.
The key difference from search advertising is intent. Search ads appear when someone is actively looking for something. Display ads appear while people are doing something else reading, browsing, watching so their job is to catch attention and stay memorable rather than answer a question.
If search ads are new to you too, Google Ads for Glasgow Businesses: A Beginner’s Guide https://lightupp.co.uk/google-ads-for-glasgow-businesses-a-beginners-guide-to-paid-search/ and What Is PPC? https://lightupp.co.uk/what-is-ppc-and-how-does-it-work-for-glasgow-businesses/ cover the basics.
The Main Types of Display Advertising
Banner and image ads
Static or animated adverts in standard sizes, placed on websites that match your audience’s interests or location.
Responsive display ads
You supply headlines, images and logos; Google combines them into different layouts to fit each site. Quick to set up and flexible.
Retargeting (remarketing)
Ads shown only to people who have already visited your website. This is where display advertising earns its keep for most small businesses reminding warm prospects about you after they’ve left without enquiring.
Video display ads
Short videos shown on YouTube and partner sites. Real footage of your business works well here see our guide to business photography and videography https://lightupp.co.uk/business-photography-and-videography-in-glasgow-why-real-images-beat-stock-photos/.
When Display Advertising Works Well
- Retargeting people who visited your website but didn’t get in touch
- Building awareness in a specific area, such as Glasgow and surrounding towns
- Supporting a launch, event or seasonal campaign
- Visual products and services food, fashion, interiors, property, events
- Keeping your brand familiar during a long buying decision
When It Usually Doesn’t
- As your only form of advertising, with no search or social activity behind it
- When your website isn’t ready to turn visitors into enquiries
- With generic stock images that blend into every other banner
- Targeted so broadly that the ads appear anywhere and everywhere
That second point catches a lot of businesses out. If people click your ad and land on a slow or confusing page, they leave. Why Your Website Visitors Aren’t Converting https://lightupp.co.uk/why-your-website-visitors-arent-converting-and-what-to-check-first/ lists what to check first.
Display vs Search vs Social
| Green Flag | Red Flag |
|---|---|
| Search: reaches people actively looking | Display: reaches people while they browse |
| Social: targets by interest and behaviour | Display: targets by site, topic and audience |
| Search: strongest for immediate enquiries | Display: strongest for awareness and retargeting |
Most local businesses get the best results by combining them: search ads to capture demand, social and display ads to build it, and retargeting to bring visitors back. Facebook Ads vs Google Ads [https://lightupp.co.uk/facebook-ads-vs-google-ads-which-should-local-businesses-try-first/] explains how the two biggest platforms compare.
Getting the Creative Right
Display ads have a fraction of a second to register. The ones that work tend to share a few things:
- One clear message, not three
- Your logo and brand colours, so people recognise you next time
- Real images of your product, premises or people
- A simple call to action: book, call, visit, shop
Brand recognition is what makes repeated display ads effective the theme of the half-second test [https://lightupp.co.uk/the-half-second-test-why-branding-decides-whether-glasgow-customers-notice-you/].
Display Advertising and Outdoor: The Same Principle
Display advertising is the online version of a billboard: it builds familiarity so that when someone needs your service, your name comes to mind. Many Glasgow businesses pair the two outdoor advertising https://lightupp.co.uk/outdoor/ for local presence and display retargeting for people who’ve already shown interest. Outdoor vs Digital Advertising https://lightupp.co.uk/outdoor-vs-digital-advertising-which-gets-you-noticed-in-glasgow/ looks at how they work together.
Why Glasgow Businesses Choose LightUpp
At LightUpp https://lightupp.co.uk/ we plan and manage display campaigns as part of our Google Ads https://lightupp.co.uk/online-ads/google-ads/ and wider online advertising https://lightupp.co.uk/online-ads/ service. Our designers create the banners and video, our ad team handles targeting and retargeting, and we report on the enquiries it brings not just the impressions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is display advertising?
Visual adverts banners, images and short videos shown on websites, apps and video platforms while people browse, rather than when they search.
What is retargeting?
Showing ads to people who have already visited your website. It reminds warm prospects about you and is often the most effective use of display advertising for small businesses.
Is display advertising good for small businesses?
It works best as part of a wider mix, especially for retargeting and local awareness. On its own, it rarely brings in enquiries directly.
Do I need to design my own display ads?
No. An agency can design them for you, using your brand and real images so they’re recognisable and consistent with your other marketing.
Related Reading
- Google Ads for Glasgow Businesses a beginner’s guide https://lightupp.co.uk/google-ads-for-glasgow-businesses-a-beginners-guide-to-paid-search/
- What Is PPC? a plain-English guide https://lightupp.co.uk/what-is-ppc-and-how-does-it-work-for-glasgow-businesses/
- Facebook Ads vs Google Ads which to try first https://lightupp.co.uk/facebook-ads-vs-google-ads-which-should-local-businesses-try-first/
