How to choose the optimal ad size for effective traffic acquisition on Mobivion
Selecting a creative is only half the battle in traffic arbitrage. An equally important factor, directly impacting CTR and final conversion, is choosing the right ad size. It determines how the ad will appear on the publisher's website, whether users will notice it, and whether they can interact with it across devices. If you're just starting out and want to avoid common mistakes, you can always Contact a manager for help getting started. In this article, the Mobivion team will explore how ad format affects its dimensions and which ad size to choose for maximum effectiveness.
Every traffic format in our network—whether banners, push notifications, or videos—has its own technical requirements and unspoken standards. Ignoring these requirements can result in creative being cut off, distorted, or not served at all to a significant portion of the audience. Choosing the right ad size ensures your message is delivered to the user as intended.
The influence of advertising format on the choice of size
Before discussing specific figures, it's important to understand a key principle: there's no universally best ad size. Its optimal parameters always depend on two variables: the chosen format and the user's device (desktop or mobile). The Mobivion advertising network offers all popular formats, and the concept of "size" has its own nuances for each.
For example, for banner ads, size is the classic width-to-height ratio in pixels. For push notifications, it's the icon and main image resolution, as well as character limits for the title and text. In video ads, aspect ratio and timing are key. In any of these cases, an incorrectly chosen ad size reduces its click-through rate and, consequently, the ROI of the entire campaign.
Banner Advertising: Proven Standards
Banners are one of the oldest and most predictable formats. Over the years, standards have evolved in the marketplace, supported by most websites. Choosing one of the popular sizes guarantees maximum reach, as these formats have the most ad space on publisher platforms.
The most converting and versatile banner ad sizes include:
300x250 (Medium Rectangle). This ad size works great on both desktop and mobile websites. It's large enough to accommodate a prominent image and text, but not too intrusive.
728x90 (Leaderboard). A classic desktop format, typically placed at the top of the page. It provides high visibility but requires a more horizontally extended creative.
160x600 (Wide Skyscraper). A vertical banner, most often placed in the sidebars of websites. This ad size is ideal for showcasing elongated objects or a sequence of benefits.
320x50 and 320x100 (Mobile Banner). These are standards for mobile traffic. They occupy a small portion of the smartphone screen and integrate well into the interface of mobile websites and apps.
When working with Mobivion, you can upload creatives in multiple sizes at once. Our system will automatically select the most appropriate ad size for a specific ad placement, maximizing traffic acquisition.
Push Notifications and In-Page: Non-Obvious Dimensions
In Push and In-Page Push formats, the concept of "ad size" is complex. Here, not only pixels are important, but also proportions and text restrictions, which together shape the final ad appearance.
For classic push notifications, the key elements are:
Icon. The standard size is 192x192 pixels. It should be simple, high-contrast, and recognizable even at a small scale.
Main image. The recommended size is 492x328 pixels. This image appears in the notification on desktop and some Android versions. Incorrectly sized ads here may result in the most important part of the image being cropped.
Text. The title (up to 30 characters) and the main text (up to 45 characters) also determine the "size." Exceeding these limits will result in the text being truncated, and the user won't see your entire offer.
In-Page Push visually imitates a system notification but is part of the web page. The creative requirements are similar, but thanks to the technology, they are more uniform across devices. Choosing the optimal ad size for these formats comes down to preparing images of the correct resolution and writing concise, compelling copy. To avoid guessing which ad size will best suit a specific placement or pass moderation, the easiest way to clarify the details is with your personal assistant. Contact the manager is the fastest way to get verified information.
Video Advertising: Aspect Ratio and Timing
In video formats like instream and outstream, pixel size is not as important as aspect ratio and video length. These two parameters determine how seamlessly the video fits into the content and whether the viewer will watch it to the end.
Basic "sizes" for video:
16:9 (horizontal video). A classic format for desktops and for pre-rolls shown before the main video content (for example, on video hosting sites).
1:1 (square video). A universal format that looks great on both desktop and mobile devices.
9:16 (vertical video). The standard for mobile traffic, especially for formats that mimic stories. This ad size takes up the entire smartphone screen, ensuring maximum immersion.
Video length is another aspect of video size. Short videos (6-15 seconds) are better at retaining attention and are suitable for skip-the-fly formats. Longer videos (up to 60 seconds) can be used where the audience is already primed for video content. When choosing video ad size, always consider the device and context in which the user will view it.
How Mobivion helps determine the optimal ad size
Testing is the key to success in affiliate marketing. Our platform provides all the necessary tools for analyzing the effectiveness of various creatives. We recommend a systematic approach to choosing ad sizes.
Run a split test: create one campaign but with multiple ad groups using different creative sizes. For example, for a desktop banner campaign, you could simultaneously test 728x90 and 300x250 sizes.
Analyze statistics in your Mobivion account. Pay attention not only to CTR but also to metrics like eCPM and CR for each individual ad size. It often happens that a small but well-placed ad size generates more conversions than a huge, full-screen banner. Our system collects data for every placement, allowing you to accurately determine which ad size performs best for your vertical and GEO.
Don't be afraid to experiment. The market is constantly changing, with new formats and placements emerging. The ad size that worked yesterday may prove ineffective tomorrow. Regularly testing new approaches and sizes is the key to consistently high profits.
Try it in practice
Theory is the foundation, but only testing yields real results. To avoid wasting your budget on obviously ineffective hypotheses, contact our specialist. They will advise you on the best ad size for your vertical and help you launch your first test campaign to compare multiple formats. You'll see firsthand how the right creative size impacts your bottom line.