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If you’re going to advertise your website on other people’s websites, at some point you are going to have to design a banner ad of some sort. Whatever the size and shape, there are some standard issues with every banner ad.

First, it will either be animated or not. If it is animated, your two biggest options are either a Flash banner or an animated GIF banner.

Animated GIF banner ads can make for a slightly smaller file size if your banner ad doesn’t run for a long time before repeating. If it does run for any length of time, a Flash banner ad quickly becomes the winner as far as smaller size and less time to download. Also, animated GIF banner ads are less versatile. You can either click on the whole ad, or not click on it. With Flash banner ads, you can do things like “shoot the duck” or “punch the monkey” where the ad itself is a little game. This type, while not appropriate for all types of sites, has recently had a surge in popularity.

The other option is, of course, a static (non-animated) banner ad. If you are paying for the banner ad, this option will likely be a little cheaper. That’s cheaper to produce and cheaper to use when you buy advertising.

When you create your banner ad, you really do not want to cram a lot of text in there. The mantra of this, as with many things, is KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid. All too often people try to fit way too many things in their banner.

First you will need the title of whatever you’re advertising, whether it’s your website, a product, an event or a service. You will also need some sort of picture to go with it.

Before you go any further, stop. It’s entirely possible that you’re done. If your title and picture are enough by themselves to interest people and entice them into clicking on your ad, then don’t add anything else to it.

If you feel that it’s absolutely necessary, you may need to add one or two lines of text. If it’s an event that you’re advertising, go ahead and put the date in the banner ad, so people know before even clicking if they are available or not.

A banner ad is more of an emotional enticement than a logical convincer. What I mean by that is that with that limited amount of space, you are much more likely to be able to convince people to click on the ad by appealing to their emotions than you would be by appealing to their logic. If you want to appeal to their logic, do so on your website that the banner ad actually goes to. In the ad itself, use pictures and words that appeal to emotions.

Tim is the owner and senior web designer at T&S Web Design. His company has developed and maintained website for dozens of small businesses and organizations. Tim also maintains a blog with free website advice for small business owners, GetASiteOnline.com

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You’ve planted the flowers, put in the shrubs and even added a bird bath and a few garden decorations, but what’s missing? Could it be the edging?

Almost as important as the flowers, the edging is like the frame to your garden. The picture can be interesting and beautiful, but it needs a frame to really enhance its appearance. Just like a picture, your garden needs it’s frame to really bring out the beauty of your living “work of art”.

There are many different types of edgings and you must plan which one will look best in your garden. One popular type of edging is to use a low brick or rock wall, cemented together with mortar. This will create a beautiful and permanent edge to your garden. Of course, not everyone has the means, money or desire to do this.

Another lovely way of edging is to simply place bricks around the borders of your garden. You can put them in a line, stacked in a double row, set on their edges or tip them diagonally and lean them against each other.

In a similar fashion, you can use large rocks to edge your garden. Use rocks that are big enough to make an impact, but ones that you can easily carry and move yourself. You can gather the rocks from fields, the woods or friends yards for free!

In your garden supply store, you will find many manufactured edgings to suite any style of garden. Miniature fences, fake rocks, plastic, metal - you name it, they have it. I prefer a more natural type edging, but if you must buy one of these, choose a good quality product and not something that looks cheap and will only last for 1 season.

You can always create a living edging by using a border plant. Some great border plants include
alpine phlox which is suitable for most climates and can be divided and planted again and again, gazanias, pansies, petunias and violas.

If you pick perennial plants, like the alpine phlox or gazania, then you can divide them and propagate them throughout the border. This will help reduce costs as you won’t have to keep buying new plants, but will take longer to establish a full border.

For large gardens, comfrey can make a good border. It has thick growth and will prevent grasses from encroaching on the garden. Also, you can use the leaves for mulch around y our other plants. When blooming, the tiny flowers will add interest to your border. Keep in mind, however, that comfrey is not suitable for small gardens as it can easily overwhelm the other plants.

One of my favourite ways to edge a garden is to use an herb border. Even strawberries can be used as a border and their bright flowers and lush fruits will add quite a bit of interest to any garden. When preparing meals, simply step out in to the garden and cut some fresh herbs each evening!

Perhaps the simplest form of edging is to take a shovel and bevel and edge all around the garden. The can be a nice subtle way to break up the line between garden and grass. You can rent a gas powered edging tool if shovelling by hand seems like too much work. This type of edging will need to be redone each year.

No matter what option you choose, your gardens will take on another dimension with it’s framed edging.

Lee Dobbins writes for Backyard Garden and Patio where you can learn more about gardens and read more articles on gardening.

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