MarketingSherpa, one of the absolute best online resources for all things web marketing, recently offered an article with a fresh take on the art of building results-driven banner ad campaigns, breaking down click rates by size and effectiveness.

“When it comes to banner ads, asking about click rates actually misses the point,” states the article. “As this chart demonstrates, response rates for online ads are typically low, no matter what their size. Ironically, low clicks don’t necessarily mean the ads aren’t working.”

Online ads are branding tools. Direct clicks are simply a happy byproduct. In the context of direct response, online ads appear to be, at best, moderately successful.

Given this moderate success, it’s important to maximize response — because ads that garner any clicks are likely doing a good job fulfilling their real purpose: strengthening brand and catching the eye.

(Click here to view the chart being referred to in the article.)