| Table of Contents | ||
|---|---|---|
|
...
One of the most common ways of attracting participants is placing an “ad” on our website (and sometimes other websites as well).
...
Clicking the ad can either take the user directly to the tree test (where the study is briefly explained) or to a page on our website that explains the research and links to the tree test from there.
Choosing websites for the ad
...
- It appears on every page of the site, so every website visitor has a chance of seeing it.
- Adding a “banner” ad across the top of a page is usually easier to do than trying to insert it into the various page layouts that the site uses.
- Many sites already have an “announcement” banner feature that we can use for the ad. We just provide the text and the destination link:
The home page is another popular spot for a web ad, because it usually already has a "feature" area or carousel that we can use:
The problem with home-page ads, however, is that many visitors never see the home page because they jump directly into the depths of a site from a search engine.
...
We may also want to use pop-up ads, also known as "intercept" ads. These are often triggered when a user has been on a page for a certain period of time, when they scroll up, or when they try to leave the page. The more obnoxious variety appear in the middle of the screen, blocking the user's view of the content, and we don't recommend them. The more polite variety pops up in a corner of the screen (often the lower right), and tries not to get in the user's way.
Creating an ad
There are countless books and articles on how to create effective ads. For our online study, though, we really just need to focus on two factors:
...
We typically phrase the text as a simple value proposition: Do this, and we’ll give you that. Here are some examples:
Do our 5-minute survey, get in the draw for a tablet!
Help us make things easier to find - win an Apple Watch!
...
We also need to make it clear what they should do next, if they decide to participate. This can be a clear text link (colored/underlined text) or a separate button.
| Note |
|---|
| Note: If we are advertising the study on a website different from our own, we’ll need to add some context to the ad so that visitors are clear about what they’re volunteering for. |
...
By calling our study a "survey", we are offering them something familiar, which is easier to say yes to. Once they click to the tree test, they'll find it's a bit different from a traditional survey, but most will proceed as long as it looks reasonably brief and easy to do.
Creating an explanation page
...
Here’s a typical explanation page that covers the basics and provides a clear way to start the study:
View file name sample explanation page.docx height 250
...
This content will probably be similar to what we put in our email invitations (if we’re also recruiting by email) – see Using email lists later in this chapter.
...
Next: Using email lists