Top 5 Display Ad Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
- ashleysodipo
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Display advertising can be a powerful driver of awareness, traffic, and conversions—but only when it’s done right. Many businesses unintentionally sabotage their own results with common mistakes that waste budget and weaken campaign performance.
Here are the top 5 display ad mistakes we see most often, plus actionable tips on how to avoid them and improve your campaign results.
Using Generic or Low-Quality Creative
Display ads rely heavily on visuals. If your creative is blurry, cluttered, outdated, or looks like a template, people will scroll right past it.
How to fix it:
Use clean, high-resolution graphics
Include bold, simple text
Keep your message short
Ensure your brand visuals are consistent across ads
No Clear Call to Action
A display ad without a call to action (CTA) leaves users unsure of what to do next.
How to fix it:
Use strong, action-driven CTAs like:
“Shop Now”
“Learn More”
“Get Started”
“Book a Call”
Make sure the CTA stands out visually.
Targeting Too Broad of An Audience
One of the biggest display ad mistakes is targeting everyone. Broad audiences lead to wasted impressions and diluted awareness.
How to fix it:
Narrow by intent, behavior, or re-marketing lists
Use layered targeting (age, interest, in-market behavior)
Exclude irrelevant audiences just as carefully as you include relevant ones
Not Using Responsive Display Ads
Google’s responsive display ads automatically adapt to different sizes and placements. Skipping them limits your reach.
How to fix it:
Upload multiple images, headlines, and descriptions
Allow Google to optimize combinations
Use brand-safe assets so automated mixing looks polished
Poor Landing Page Experience
Even the best display ad will fail if it sends users to a slow, cluttered, or irrelevant landing page.
How to fix it:
Ensure your landing page is:
Fast (mobile-first)
Aligned with the message in the ad
Easy to navigate
Focused on one conversion goal
Stronger Display Ads Start With Better Creative and Better Targeting
Improving your display ads doesn’t require a full campaign overhaul—just smarter creative, better technical setup, and tighter targeting. When your banners are built correctly and your placements are optimized, your display campaigns become a powerful driver of awareness, engagement, and conversions.
Electric Ad Studio can help you review your current display ads, identify performance issues, and recommend creative improvements through our free ad audit.
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