Why do IM's make such UGLY ads?

38 replies
I'm very new to IM and something that I just do not understand is: why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?

Even the TOP dudes out there are using ugly landing pages/ugly banners/ugly everything. It's not like they don't have the cash to hire a talented designer. So, I just don't get it.

Now, when I say "ugly" I don't just mean the placement of images is bad - I'm talking about straight up using super pixely images instead of a higher-resolution one.

What's the psychological reason for this? It can't just be "that's what works". Because when creating a narrative, quality has been PROVEN to be important. There are the occasional 'outliers' that strike a nerve and go viral. But for example, if you look on youtube - polished, neat videos like this (over 3 millions views): do very, very well. I'm not talking about viral cat videos, I'm talking about creating a video that has a NARRATIVE.

This video isn't anything crazy, but it has a simple, neat design. Knowing this, why would top marketers still choose to go with the ugly "video scribe" style? I understand why beginners would choose the ugly style, but I'm talking about guys that are pulling in a lot of cash. They have the $$ to spend on better quality - why don't they??

Please, someone enlighten me.
#ads #make #ugly
  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    but I'm talking about guys that are pulling in a lot of cash
    By who's accounting?

    Sometimes, simple sells.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    With regards to banners and landing pages, it's all about conversions.

    In most cases, ugly outperforms pretty.
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  • Profile picture of the author cyberzolo
    simple sells.
    Very true I don't care how the landing page or ad works, I buy a product if I think it will help me based on how they sell it to me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    It depends on the market.

    From my experience . . .

    Some markets REQUIRE the "Simple Sells" approach; others require a pro-looking design.

    You can bank on one thing: many of the sales pages you're looking at have been tested and tested and tested and the one you see is the one that converts the best.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    You make a very broad generalization. I take it that when you say "IM's" you mean MMO people. Another REALLY broad generalization. Internet marketing covers everything sold online not just fast buck how to stuff. The video you put up has a certain appeal but it would likely be a flop in the MMO arena.

    Successful marketers of all types do at least one thing right. They identify their potential customers and give them what they want and need. If that takes a cheesy presentation so be it. Most of the stuff that flies in the WSO forum I wouldn't go near, not so much because it's ugly but because it's BS. But it must be working for select sellers and their buyers so why mess with it, even if it is ugly?
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
    Originally Posted by microload View Post

    I'm very new to IM and something that I just do not understand is: why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?
    Well... here's one thought...

    As an admitted novice to the field perhaps your goals would be
    better served by studying and learning why they work instead of
    crticizing them and thinking you know better.

    The alternative is to go produce the quality of pages you find
    acceptable and prove that your methods work just as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnben1444
    It's just probably what works well though am not ruling out the fact that there could be a better stuff.
    That's life, you never really get it until you get it.

    Nonetheless, it's an opportunity for you to key into the loopholes and fill them up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kate L
    Sometimes something that looks too good to be true is... that said its all about conversions if the ugly is just as good or out performs the pretty with the steep price tag which are you going with?
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  • Profile picture of the author Luke Dennison
    People spend time making sure there websites etc look neat and polished. So a neat and poished ad wont stand out, but a ugly ad will.

    Simple.
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  • Would you rather have a "professional" ad that everyone loves and tells you how great it is and doesn't convert or an "ugly" one that everyone says you need to do this or that to it but makes you tons of money.
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    • Profile picture of the author microload
      Originally Posted by HelpingYouBeAnExpert View Post

      Would you rather have a "professional" ad that everyone loves and tells you how great it is and doesn't convert or an "ugly" one that everyone says you need to do this or that to it but makes you tons of money.
      This is a silly question. Obviously I would rather have a well-designed ad that performs better.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    I think that the most polished looking ads/websites are those for real estate.
    I know that those companies buy those website from a designer because they
    make THEM feel good, but they don't work.

    First, every real estate page looks the same same and in such a
    crowded market you have to stand out to really make an impression.

    So I'm answering your question from a another direction--by showing
    you an example of when and why ugly works.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author JensSteyaert
    It's not a beauty contest, it's conversion stats that matter.

    The fact alone that you noticed the ugly ads proves they are resistant to banner blindness. So there you go, if it gets noticed it gets clicks, if it gets more clicks it turns into more sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    It all comes down to the message you are trying to convey to your target market.

    If I am selling a course teaching people how to make money online and my story is that I am just like them, just an ordinary person who found out a way to make money online and now wants to teach others, then it makes no sense for me to have a beautifully crafted, professional looking website. It's not congruent with my message and would likely alienate my market. On the other hand if I have a simple text sales page that looks like it was put together in Microsoft Word then that market can relate to me and it gives the impression I am not a professional with a huge team behind me, rather just someone exactly like them.

    Now if instead I am a professional business and I want to convey that message to people, then I would most definitely spend more time and money getting a professional website design done. This would give people the impression that we are a professional business and we do have an eye for detail.

    So it's all about message to market match. No one size fits all.
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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    Originally Posted by microload View Post

    I'm very new to IM and something that I just do not understand is: why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?

    Even the TOP dudes out there are using ugly landing pages/ugly banners/ugly everything. It's not like they don't have the cash to hire a talented designer. So, I just don't get it.

    They have the $$ to spend on better quality - why don't they??

    Please, someone enlighten me.

    TTD, the top dudes, have the $$$ and they spend it on TESTING. Then they use what works for them. I think the beauty of their web site is in the eyes of their accountants.

    It is not a mystery, TTD do what da do to keep being TTD's

    Enlightened yet?

    gjabiz
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    • Profile picture of the author butters
      Originally Posted by gjabiz View Post

      TTD, the top dudes, have the $$$ and they spend it on TESTING. Then they use what works for them. I think the beauty of their web site is in the eyes of their accountants.

      It is not a mystery, TTD do what da do to keep being TTD's

      Enlightened yet?

      gjabiz
      This In numbers we trust people, opinions mean nothing. If the data says it earns you more dollar, you do what that data tells you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
    GetRichMethods has it right: It completely depends on WHO you're selling to and what you're selling.

    Period.

    "Who cares if it converts?" is a pretty tired phrase around here.

    Jason Dinner is flat-out WRONG in his statement that ugly outperforms pretty. That's a blanket statement that's incorrect.

    Yes, some markets require poor grammar and spelling (on purpose, usually tongue in cheek) and poor design. However, the Internet is maturing and good design matters much more than it used to.

    And TSnyder's comment is a bit snarky. The truth is, you can have someone who knows NOTHING about IM or MMO, but design will significantly influence their buying choices in that market, primarily subconsciously. They're largely unaware of how much it influences their decision.

    So yes, he's an expert on how design influences HIM.

    And before everyone jumps all over me to defend their statements, here are some hard statistics from Derek Halpern on SocialTriggers.com about how important good design really is. (Hint: content is NOT king):

    Content is King... or Is It?

    Yes, "ugly" is good in some markets. But not in all. And the MMO crowd would do well to up their professionalism. You can create simplicity WITHOUT being UGLY. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

    Hope that helps!

    Michelle
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    • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
      Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post

      GetRichMethods has it right: It completely depends on WHO you're selling to and what you're selling.

      Jason Dinner is flat-out WRONG in his statement that ugly outperforms pretty. That's a blanket statement that's incorrect.
      After serving over hundred million banner impressions, ugly has outperformed pretty every time for me.

      ie: those pretty banners you can get at banners mall will not outperform the ugly ones I either rip from Adbeat or that I make myself with Skitch and Kompozer.

      And I said in MOST cases, not all.

      Plus define ugly and pretty. It's all in the eye of the beholder. What I consider clean, others will consider ugly. And what I consider too busy others will consider pretty. And vice versa.
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      • Profile picture of the author microload
        Originally Posted by jasondinner View Post

        After serving over hundred million banner impressions, ugly has outperformed pretty every time for me.

        ie: those pretty banners you can get at banners mall will not outperform the ugly ones I either rip from Adbeat or that I make myself with Skitch and Kompozer.

        And I said in MOST cases, not all.

        Plus define ugly and pretty. It's all in the eye of the beholder. What I consider clean, others will consider ugly. And what I consider too busy others will consider pretty. And vice versa.
        You're talking about nice template banners. I'm talking about hiring a top level designer. Have you tested that investment?

        And I understand that testing is the best way to figure these things out, but maybe I was missing something so I decided to ask. It's rather odd that people constantly give the common sense answer of "test it yourself!" when the whole point of this forum is to share knowledge, mistakes and advice.

        I'm in the process of testing both "ugly" ads and nice ones.
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    • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
      Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post

      GetRichMethods has it right: It completely depends on WHO you're selling to and what you're selling.

      And before everyone jumps all over me to defend their statements, here are some hard statistics from Derek Halpern on SocialTriggers.com about how important good design really is. (Hint: content is NOT king):

      Content is King… or Is It?

      Michelle
      I agree with you on GetRichMethods which is why I said in most cases.

      But with regard to Derek's site - and I love his site and all the killer info he puts out - his site is ugly, but clean.
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      • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
        Ha ha!

        Yes, it's all subjective. And you're right: what I would consider clean some would consider ugly.

        I know you're not wrong on the "ugly" comment. I was taking issue with the broad generalization.

        Thanks for taking my comments in the spirit in which they were intended. (And yes, Derek's stuff is awesome. )

        Michelle
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    • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
      Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post


      And TSnyder's comment is a bit snarky.

      Michelle
      That was a silly comment. There was nothing the least bit snarky
      about what I wrote. It was the best advice he's been given so far.

      Either learn why something works or do your own and prove
      that it works just as good.

      WTH is snarky about that? It's the same thing I'd tell my kids.
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      • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
        Originally Posted by Tsnyder View Post


        WTH is snarky about that? It's the same thing I'd tell my kids.
        You insinuated that the poster was "criticizing" when in reality, he was simply asking why ugly vs pretty.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
          Originally Posted by wolfmmiii View Post

          You insinuated that the poster was "criticizing" when in reality, he was simply asking why ugly vs pretty.
          Well... when someone starts out with...

          "why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?"

          It sounds very much like criticism to me.

          My point stands... learn or do your own... pretty simple advice.
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          • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
            Originally Posted by Tsnyder View Post

            Well... when someone starts out with...

            "why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?"

            It sounds very much like criticism to me.

            My point stands... learn or do your own... pretty simple advice.
            Sounds like a question to me. I do agree, however, that it's best to "do and learn".
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  • Profile picture of the author st0nec0ld
    Originally Posted by microload View Post

    I'm very new to IM and something that I just do not understand is: why the hell are all the ads so visually unpleasing?

    Even the TOP dudes out there are using ugly landing pages/ugly banners/ugly everything. It's not like they don't have the cash to hire a talented designer. So, I just don't get it.

    Now, when I say "ugly" I don't just mean the placement of images is bad - I'm talking about straight up using super pixely images instead of a higher-resolution one.

    What's the psychological reason for this? It can't just be "that's what works". Because when creating a narrative, quality has been PROVEN to be important. There are the occasional 'outliers' that strike a nerve and go viral. But for example, if you look on youtube - polished, neat videos like this (over 3 millions views): Are you are a good liar? Find out in 5 seconds - YouTube do very, very well. I'm not talking about viral cat videos, I'm talking about creating a video that has a NARRATIVE.

    This video isn't anything crazy, but it has a simple, neat design. Knowing this, why would top marketers still choose to go with the ugly "video scribe" style? I understand why beginners would choose the ugly style, but I'm talking about guys that are pulling in a lot of cash. They have the $$ to spend on better quality - why don't they??

    Please, someone enlighten me.
    Well then, I think it is time for you to explore and see the answer for yourself.
    Internet Marketing is a continuous learning process and people with experiences here have different opinions based on their own personal experiences. I suggest that you try it for yourself first and see how things will work on you.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrafficExpert
    You seem to notice the ugly ads right?

    Then it worked. The ad got your attention did it not?

    That's the whole point of ads. To grab your attention. Being ugly is one way to grab your attention and it works.
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  • Profile picture of the author David Mcalorum
    You'd be surprised by how much better ugly stuff converts than nice looking stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Chicas
    To each it's own.... if you think they are so ugly... well that just means you can out do them and make better conversions right? Always use others short comings to your advantage... or at least try to.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
    Originally Posted by microload View Post

    It's not like they don't have the cash to hire a talented designer. So, I just don't get it.
    Just because they have the cash doesn't mean they should spend more money on something. Why spend the cash if the simple, inexpensive presentation works just as well (if not better) than a really expensive production?

    A lot of marketers also want to keep the cost of their products down to keep them affordable. If they go out and spend tons of money on producing videos, they will have to charge a lot more for the product.

    Also, when it comes to marketers in the MMO niche, a lot of them are creating and selling products for other reasons, such as to attract a lot of affiliates who will then make a lot of sales, in turn adding tons of top notch "buyer" leads to the product creator's list. That is the goal of many marketers in the MMO niche, and in order to do that, the product cost should not be extremely high.

    Honestly, some of the best products that have helped me the most have been simple slideshow style videos created with Camtasia or even free software like Camstudio, and they've cost me less than $10.

    Sometimes simple just sells better.
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  • Profile picture of the author NoMoreWords
    An ancient philosopher has said that the more you learn the more you will realize that you know nothing. So when normal people just see some ad they don't actually see it as an ugly ad. At the end of the day, it's information and straightforwardness which counts for them.

    We only see ads as ugly because we've seen thousands of ads. Also, when you spend tens of hours on your personal ad, you start seeing small details that people outside IM (or marketing in general for that matter) don't see.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Yes, the OP isn't criticizing; the OP is genuinely perplexed. And I can understand that.

    It boils down to a few elements that I'm sure we can all appreciate, though. Ads, these days, tell stories. The idea of which is to build likability and trust by speaking to the lead in a regular, you and I are just the same, manner. Picture it like 2 guys in a bar. One guy saying, "Hey, you know, if you get this product like I did, you wouldn't be struggling so much to pay the rent. You know, worked for me; why not you, right?" And then you have a guy come in with a glossy brochure, handing them out, preaching about the virtues of the same product. The guy who can't pay his rent: who's he going to like and trust more? Which guy will he choose to buy the product from? In many contexts, especially MMO, "corporation selling" simply doesn't work. It's more complex than this, but I'm just waking up here. This about sums it up, though.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonthewebmaster
    Banned
    do you have an example? and how do you know for a fact they are the "top guys pulling all the cash"?
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Because it works
    I've done a fair bit of split testing over time and you'd be surprised how often the "ugly" ones outperform the "nice" ones
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  • Profile picture of the author Aussie_Al
    I was always taught it was called "interruption advertising" to get over peoples "banner blindness"
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