2. Hook 'em with a headline.

To keep busy readers from whizzing right by your ad, stop them in their tracks with a snappy headline. Successful display ads tell readers why they should patronize a business. "You only have three seconds to keep the reader from flipping the page," says David Lipson, creative director at Ackerman McQueen, Oklahoma City, Okla. "If you don't sell your message fast, forget about it." Lipson says you should subject every potential headline to the following three-pronged test:

1) Is it simple?
2) Does it stop the reader cold?
3) Does it get your core message across?

Let's consider each.To keep it simple, avoid concepts that can't be grasped immediately by most readers. "People don't want to play games," says Lipson. "Forget puns and jokes unless you can make them work." To stop the reader cold, present an arresting idea. Simply put, the reader needs some reason to keep from turning the page. "You can get the attention of the reader by stating a benefit," says Benton. "Or you can create an alarm factor." Finally, to get your point across , state your core message in the headline. Readers won't bother reading the body copy of the ad if they aren't intrigued by the headline. Indeed, in many cases a good headline will do its work so well that body copy won't be required. Warns Lipson: "Only two people like body copy: the advertiser and the copywriter. The reader couldn't care less."

Not all successful headlines satisfy all three prongs of the above test. But try for all of them if you can. Here are some examples: "Let Your Fingers do the Walking" is a famous headline. It's simple, stops the reader, and gets a core message across. "Our Loss is Your Gain" does the same for inventory clearance time.

"Don't Read This Ad!" is simple and stops the reader from turning the page. While it does not communicate a specific message, it's a proven winner. It shows that not every headline has to satisfy all three criteria. You can specify your message in a subhead. "This is a half-priced ad" is another attention getter. Your subhead can explain that a certain line of goods is available at half price. Avoid the most common mistake in display ad headlines: stating the name of the store with a perfunctory message. Something like "Johnson Store's Labor Day Special" satisfies the "keep-it-simple" requirement. However, only the store owner will stop to read that ad.

"Most business people want to use the headline to tell the readers who they are," says Benton. "But readers don't care what the name of your business is. They only care about what you can do for them."

3. Reel 'em in with a killer visual.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," says Benton. "But only if it's the right picture." Effective ads have great pictures. Suppose your headline is weak. Well, the illustration is the next best customer grabber. "You either stop them with a headline or stop them with a picture," says Harold Sly, creative director at Cunningham, Sly, Wadsack, Wilson & Hodges (CSWW&H), Shreveport, Louisiana. "If neither of those does the trick, you've lost the customer.

What makes an illustration right? It has to enhance the message of the headline. "The best ads have a visual that works together with the headline in a perfect fit," says Lipson. Visuals can be photographs, cartoons or logos. Photographs are the strongest vehicles for catching the eye, but they involve extra expense and should only be used if reproduction quality to good. It can be hard to find a photo that reinforces the key message, and tougher still if you have a limited space within which to work. Cartoons can be designed to reinforce the core message and add humor. And they can often communicate a point that a photo cannot. If your core image is quality, for example, you might choose a cute cartoon figure with an award button reading "Number 1!" pinned on his proud chest.

If your headline is "Don't Read This Ad!" you might have a burly policeman blowing a whistle and holding up a STOP sign toward the reader. The final category of visual is the logo. If you start using a logo, keep it small and avoid trying to broadcast a message with it. Recall that a common mistake is to use a store name as a headline. Same goes for using the store logo as a large visual.