If you’re interested in getting more traffic to your website or growing your business’s online community, a great way to accomplish this goal is to run online ads. There are many places and formats in which you can run ads, including platforms like Google AdWords. However, there is a lot more to running ads than just turning them on. In order to have success with your ad campaigns, you have to know how to create effective ads that will inspire viewers to act. For those struggling with this aspect of your ads, here are three tips for creating more effective online ads for your company.

Clearly Define The Goal of Your Ad

When setting up and designing your online ads, it’s best to have a plan in place for what you want your specific ads to accomplish. Without your goals being clearly defined, it can be very difficult to know when you’re having success with your ads.

According to Melissa Mackey of WebMarketingToday.com, you can clearly and easily define the goals of your ad campaigns by simply asking yourself some questions. The questions Mackey suggests for marketers to ask include things like why would someone purchase from you rather than your competitor and how your product is unique. By knowing the answers to these questions, you can better define the goals of your ad campaigns and know when you’ve reached success with your ads.

Using the Little Space You Have

Most online ads have very little space for you to work with. For this reason, it’s vital that you use the small amounts of space you do have to your utmost advantage. According to a quote by David Ogilvy on a KISSmetric’s blog by Nathan Hangen, 80 percent of the success of your ad relies on the headline. If you’re unable to grab someone’s attention with your headline, you’re unlikely to get the reaction from them that you’re looking for with your ad. And although you may be more worried about the placement of the ad or the copy or color, the headline is really what will sell your ad to viewers, making that small amount of space that much more important.

Make Your Ads As Clickable As Possible

Online ads are all about getting as many clicks as possible. However, this is oftentimes easier said than done. So what can you do to make your ads appear clickable to your target market?

Ted Prodromou, a contributor to Entrepreneur.com, shares that there are five ways you can improve your ads to make people more likely to click on them. These five ways include boosting curiosity, showing a benefit, playing on emotions, being credible, and setting appropriate expectations. If you’re able to cover all of these bases when creating your online ad, you’ll have an ad that most people won’t be able to resist clicking on.

Depending on the industry or market you’re in, the exact things that will make your ads more successful will vary. However, the tips mentioned above are a great foundation for creating overall appealing and effective ads regardless of your field or demographic. Consider using the tips to see just how much success you can find by having more effective online ads.