How to combat banner blindness: the most effective methods

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Sometimes, even a stylishly designed subscription form with a well-designed call to action goes unnoticed. Users suffer from banner blindness: they perceive the form as an ad and ignore it. It's not that people don't want to subscribe, they simply fail to notice that you're inviting them to leave their contact information. This happens even to the most loyal audiences. Let's explore what this problem is and learn how to combat it.

LeadPlan Team



Imagine a typical weather forecast website. You visit it daily and are accustomed to looking only at the central forecast section and ignoring the other sections.

What is banner blindness?




Researchers noticed this phenomenon back in 1998, when banner telegram data ads first appeared online. Thirty years later, users are increasingly unaware of advertising, while marketers are increasingly trying to attract their attention. How can we break this vicious cycle?
Why users don't notice ads
Firstly, internet users are accustomed to dividing information on websites into two categories: relevant/important/interesting, and "blind spots," which include any content resembling advertising, including subscription forms. To help users process content calmly, browsers even offer a "Reading Mode," which displays only the text and images of articles, eliminating any elements that interfere with reading.

Secondly, people are accustomed to a specific arrangement of blocks on a page. They know, for example, that the information they need is located on the left and center of the screen. They only scan content in these areas because that's where they found the answer on other websites. The rest are "blind spots," meaning what's present and what isn't.

Here's a heat map created using eye tracking.

When a user first lands on a website, their gaze lingers on the upper left corner. They then scan the page in a pattern resembling the letter "F," and simply miss the side banners, especially on the right. Some scan the content, involuntarily following a pattern resembling the letter "X" or "L."
How to combat banner blindness
Be prepared to experiment, as there are no universal solutions for banner blindness. And remember: no matter how attractive your subscription form is, if your website content is poor, few people will want to subscribe to your newsletter. Respect your visitors and earn their trust.
Choose the right location
We mentioned above that users explore a website in a pattern resembling the letters "F," "X," and "Y." So, the most advantageous placement for an ad unit is the top left corner of the website. On the other hand, it's unlikely anyone will sign up for your newsletter the moment they land on the site.



So, try different options. Your goal is to place the form in a prominent place on the website. Notice how prominent the call to subscribe is on Ingate, even though it's located at the bottom of the page, just above the footer: