By Asher Fusco & Alison Hayes
The days of utilizing Flash as a desktop advertising tool are soon coming to an end. One underlying reason may be that Adobe Flash has a history of security issues and has become a favorite avenue for hackers who utilize its security vulnerability to dump malicious code to millions of users, as illustrated by the most recent attack on Yahoo Ad Network. And according to Ad Age, all of the major browsers will begin phasing out Flash banner ads within the next six months, starting with Google Chrome’s landscape-shifting decision to begin forcing users to opt in to view individual Flash-generated ad animations.
Underlining the critical nature of this shift away from Flash is the surging popularity of the mobile channel as a traffic and revenue stream. In the past year, mobile has officially surpassed desktop as the most popular search query channel, growing by 23% as users who at one time planned travel from their desktops have graduated to become cross-device consumers. In fact, nine out of every ten people use multiple device categories sequentially, according to Google research. Smartphones, which are often Flash-incompatible, account for 65% of multi-screen research.
Put simply, hoteliers and digital marketers who choose to stick with Flash will be left in the dust, operating with a greatly reduced ability to reach audiences and drive revenues. There is some good news: HTML5 banner technology serves as a dynamic, cost-effective and engaging path by which to secure visits and conversions. Hotel digital marketers who act quickly to turn toward establishing an HTML5 standard will enjoy the benefit of cross-platform adaptability on desktop, mobile and tablet and cut costs typically invested in mobile-specific Flash ad creation.
With more than 45% of hotel web visitors and 21% of bookings generated via non-desktop devices (HeBS Digital) thus far in 2015, the utility of HTML5 banners is clear for hoteliers. Those who rely on Flash will find their window of visibility shrinking over the next few months and eventually closing completely in the next several years. Meanwhile, HTML5 users will grow their properties’ visibility as more and more users turn to mobile devices as research and booking tools.
As a valuable piece of a hotel’s ROI-focused online media plan, HTML5 banners are important and becoming increasingly indispensable. Unlike Flash banners with their fast-shrinking market share, HTML5-based banners will help hoteliers increase their reach and engagement across multiple channels. In every attempt to equip our hotelier clients with state-of-the-art technology and robust digital marketing collateral, HeBS Digital, one of the early adopters of HTML5, is already phasing out Flash banners. The end result of moving into the future of banner advertising with HTML5 is higher-converting display campaigns on travel ad networks and publishers such as the Google Display Network (GDN) and TripAdvisor, which most of our clients are currently utilizing for their online media, retargeting and multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Features & Benefits of HTML5 Banner Technology:
- Multi-device compatible
- Desktop
- Mobile
- Tablet
- Content readable by search engines (mobile and desktop)
- Trackable via traditional analytics platforms, providing unique insights:
- Referrers
- Clicks by browser
- Screen resolution and device type
- Visitor location data
- Ads cannot be hidden or blocked by users
- Text is displayed more clearly
Starting now but definitely in 2016, hotel marketers need to abandon Adobe Flash and adopt HTML5. In addition to utilizing HTML5 for promo slide animations on the main image of the website, HeBS Digital utilizes these animations for banner ads as well. As a priority component to digital marketing ads, HTML5 banner ads have seen huge successes already. This makes the investment of less than $1000 for a set of HTML5 banners for four sizes worthwhile. Read how an HTML5 banner campaign on TripAdvisor generated 1,069% return for a HeBS Digital client.
