Most ads on the Internet--and in print and on TV for that matter--fail to get attention. The ad simply isn't bold, loud, bright, or active enough to pull our eyes, ears and minds into the ad's message.

The key is to make your message as big, bold, and attention- getting as you can without becoming too annoying. If you want to get your company name across to people in an animated banner, put your logo BIG and in the middle of each frame. Anything more subtle will cause most of the audience to ignore your banner.

Also remember the old rule of 7. Seventy percent of people won't respond to your ad the first time they see it. You need to advertise over and over again with the same ad. This gives the bulk of your audience time to see you, think about you, then buy from you.