Death of the banner ad?

The bill has come due for the reckless Web-ad spending of the 1990s.

Smart Business's Thomas Claburn has written this informative report on trends in online advertising spending. Claburn reports that banner ads aren't really going away, but advertisers are becoming more cautious and are now requiring a better return on the dollar. As click-through rates plummet, commercial Web sites are tightening their belts in anticipation of reduced advertising revenue.

Even so, companies that use Web ads intelligently -- as part of a coordinated campaign that includes print and other media as well -- reap the benefits.

The banner ad is dead