← The Log
Campaigns

The first banner ad ran in 1994, and it worked

On October 27, 1994, the site HotWired ran what's remembered as the web's first banner ad. AT&T paid 30,000 dollars to display one simple line for three months: "Have you ever clicked your mouse right HERE? You will." By most accounts a striking share of people who saw it clicked, a response rate that would be unthinkable today.

Online advertising went from that single banner to a global industry in one generation.

The novelty wore off fast, and today attention is the scarce thing. Ads still work, but only when they point to a page that's fast, clear, and ready to turn the click into a customer. We build the whole path, from the campaign to the landing page, so the money you spend to earn a click doesn't leak away the moment someone arrives.

Further reading: original source ↗

Want this handled for you?

This is exactly the kind of thing our digital marketing work takes off your plate. Start with a free, no-pressure look at your site.

Come aboard
Get the Log by email

Plain-English notes on web, marketing, and getting found online. Occasional, no spam.