Who clicks on banner ads?

I often wonder if banner ads are a worthwhile investment.  I never click on them, and Business Insider claims that you are more likely to survive a plane crash or win the lottery than to click on a banner ad.  Others have found that people who click on banner ads are more likely to be less educated, poorer, and more rural than the average internet user.

For companies that want to maximizer their clicks, it is important to constantly monitor their reports.  Data analysis is important for companies to know what is working and what is not so that they can optimize their ad spend appropriately.  Furthermore, companies need to know if minimum click rates are being met and whether the website is getting sufficient traffic.

Tips for improving click through rates include obvious suggestions such as creating an interesting banner.  Less obvious is that text-heavy ads get higher click throughs because they stand out from the many ads that are heavy on graphics and colors.  Adding prices and discounts to banner ads are not helpful.  However, offering something for free does increase clicks.