Q: I have a Web site with a variety of products on it that I advertise on several sites; however, my ad response is very low--on some ads as low as .07 percent. What can I do to boost the response to my ads?

A: Dismal response is usually a direct result of dismal creative. The Internet can be a very effective form of media if used properly, but when is the last time an ad on the Internet has really inspired you to respond? If you can't think of the last time, don't worry: You're in the majority.

Let's face it: Online advertising on the Internet leaves a lot to be desired. To put it more bluntly, most of it is terrible. We have ads that emulate Windows-warning boxes. We have ads the wiggle, waggle, jiggle and rattle. We have pop-ups and pop-unders. All of these are developed with the intent to make you notice them.

Once they have your attention though, do they really tell you anything? Do they motivate you to take action and respond to the ad?

Advertisers, especially those with small budgets, can't afford to waste money on ineffective buys. In order to optimize your advertising buys, concentrate on improving your creative. Here are 10 tips to help you get started:

1. Define the goals of your advertising campaign. That may be to produce 100 transactions. It may be to generate 1,000 visitor sessions. It may be to produce 500 leads. Whatever it is, clearly define your objective.

2. Identify the most effective sites for achieving your goals. Sites that are most relevant to your product or service will, more than likely, be your best bet; but also consider larger sites or networks that can target the audience you're trying to reach. They can be very cost-effective. If you have multiple products or services that appeal to various target markets, you'll have to consider sites that reach all those various segments.

3. Craft your message to fit the needs of the audience you're targeting. That comes down to understanding the audience of the sites you're advertising on. The message you use on a technology site to appeal to technologically savvy customers won't have the same appeal for visitors on a small-business site.

4. Formulate the specific promotional messages that correspond to your goals. Those promotional messages should concentrate on the major selling points of your product or service and have a strong call-to-action. For instance, "Get a FREE Trial Issue to Entrepreneur magazine. Sign-Up Today and Download Our FREE Report, '23 Tips for Closing a Sale.' Click here for your FREE Trial Issue!"

5. Make the desired action clearly visible. That doesn't mean the desired action should necessarily blink, bounce or do flips, but it should be visible within an accepted format for the media you're using. In the case of the Internet, underlined text links, "click here," text entry boxes and pulldown menus are all ways you can make the desired action clearly visible.

6. Use rich media to expand your message. Static ads can be effective, but they're one-dimensional in terms of response. Animated ads can be effective, but like static ads, they're also one-dimensional in terms of response. Use HTML, DHTML, Javascript, layered ads, etc. to add more depth to your creative and expand the capabilities for response.

7. Maximize the use of your space when using rich media. If you have limited space in your ad, use HTML to create an animated message in one portion of the ad and a pulldown menu or text entry box in the rest of the space, depending on your goals. With DHTML, you can use simple scripting to take a confined area and have it expand upon mouse over or click, giving you more room to communicate a desired action such as a sign-up form, quote check, etc. As more and more sites start to provide larger ad units for advertisers, use the space to your advantage by including simple Javascript forms to promote a desired action or have text links that depict categories potential customers can choose from. There are numerous resources on the Internet to help you understand and build rich creative through the use of scripting. One such resource is Builder.com.

8. Don't restrict the response when using rich media. Each portion of your creative should have a function. For instance, if you're using an HTML ad with a pulldown menu, make sure the other portions of your ad have a function such as a link. Having just the pulldown menu active restricts the ability of your potential customers to respond.

9. Design the ad so it looks like it belongs on the sites where you're advertising. For instance, you may want to use the site's font faces in your text, color schemes in your background, font color choices overall, and emulate images where appropriate. Try to conform to the environment so potential customers visiting the site don't gasp in shock when they see your ad.

10. Produce multiple versions of each ad. Create three or four versions of each ad, changing the promotional message, call-to-action, font faces and color schemes. This is especially important if you're doing price testing or gauging reaction to specific promotions. By splitting your advertising buy among the various versions of your creative, you can then start to optimize your buy based on the message that works best.

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment. One of the beauties of the Internet is that you can gauge reaction to your ad right away. You can then make adjustments based on the initial reaction. Don't be one of those marketers that settles for poor response from their advertising creative. Make it work for you!

Charles Fuller is the vice president, development of Entrepreneur.com. As our Web site's founder and first employee, Chuck has been instrumental in contributing to the site's design, marketing and business development.