Interactive E-Commerce Advertising is the New Normal

By Kirk Davis

For consumers who use smartphones or tablets to manage their daily lives, they expect a certain level of interaction. Images and content are expected to be dynamic and able to be expanded or manipulated at will. This desire contrasts sharply to the model of online advertising that remains a flat and static image combined with text. Interactive online ads are a dynamic alternative that are improving in quality at a rapid pace, moving towards custom-produced commercials that give consumers access to the right product in less time.

Better Consumer Engagement
Interactive ads in this context allow viewers to choose various options within the actual banner. They can select merchandise for closer review, click between different color options or choose advanced options such as voice narration. If viewing a sales ad for a clothing retailer, a consumer could sort by “men’s” or “women’s” apparel, then by “tops” or “pants.” Once their desired list of clothing is narrowed, they could then watch a high-quality video which shows the cut and fit of each piece. They could see a white top with green pants or vice versa. All of this is done within the banner, without ever leaving the publisher's site.

Interactive ads that enable image zooming or panning not only provide a better way to view merchandise, they can also simply be a fun diversion for consumers who always have an expectation of entertainment.

Consumers that browse merchandise within a banner ad also save time when they proceed to the advertiser’s main site. Armed with more knowledge, they're able to quickly navigate and are less likely to perform every e-commerce retailer's worst nightmare — shopping cart abandonment.

Publishers Enjoy the Stickiness Factor
For ad publishers, interactive ads allow viewers to remain on their site while they peruse merchandise. By not jumping to the advertiser’s site, the viewer is exposed to more of the content and ads on the publisher site, increasing the chances of clicking other ads and engaging with the publisher’s own content.