A broadcast commercial can last from 15 to 60 seconds; a print advertisement may be limited to a few lines or even to a number of characters, and a full page ad, while allowing more space for your message, can be very expensive.

On the Internet, the time/space limitation is even more critical. The window of opportunity to get your message noticed is open for about 7 seconds, and the scales are weighed in favor of the Web site visitor. She has total control of the mouse; her patience in measured in nanoseconds and there are hundreds of alternate choices at her fingertips.

If you expect to have a fighting chance for her business, you must accomplish three goals:

1. Get her to notice your advertisement.

2. Keep her interested by building excitement.

3. Encourage her to take the next step.

Words can lift our spirits, give us hope, and fire us into a fit of rage or ecstacy. That's because words normally have two meanings: the generally accepted meaning as defined in the dictionary, and the connotative or secondary meaning that is exclusive to the reader or listener.

When you think of the word "home" for example, you instinctively understand it to mean a place of residence. But on another level you may be overcome with a feeling of relaxation, comfort and security because of what that word represents to you emotionally.

Someone else's secondary image may make them anxious and stressful, because of unpleasant events they associate with home. The same word, same intellectual understanding, but different emotional responses.

If I say to you: "There goes a successful woman!" the image that forms in your mind may be quite different from what forms in mine.

You may picture Oprah Winfrey or Martha Stewart, while I might imagine a financially independent, intelligent woman who is well-read, poised in a variety of situations, and extremely in touch with her sense of self. Neither of us is wrong, we're each responding to our personal definition at that moment.

As a result of understanding these two basic ways in which words and images affect us, different advertising approaches have evolved, aimed at one or the other. They have all become part of the arsenal of gimmicks, tricks and strategies that assaults our senses on a daily basis.

With that said, let's look at some practical ways to apply this new understanding to achieve the goals I mentioned earlier.

1. Get her to notice your advertisement.

Your headline, hyperlink, lead-in or banner should be an attention-grabber. Keep in mind that your potential customer is looking for answers to questions and solutions to problems, so begin there.

Here are some examples:

"Could you use a new idea to advance your business?"
"Double your article output in half the time!"
"Fight wrinkles from inside out."
"Say goodbye to those unwanted pounds!"
"Start earning extra $$$ today!"

With banners you can enhance your message using font size and style, color, images and annimation. An annimated banner gives you the ability to say more in the same fixed space, but you must take care not to overdo the flashing and scrolling features.

2. Keep her interested by building excitement.

The body of your offer should expand on the headline. Talk about the health and appearance benefits of losing unwanted pounds; the bills that could be paid with the extra dollars earned; the improved self-image to be enjoyed from having smooth skin.

3. Encourage her to take the next step.

It's important to get a commitment from your prospect by telling her what to do next. A simple "Click Here" or "Find out more" or "Go" works well with banners.

Text-based ads could read:

"Click here for more information."
"Visit us at www.yourdomain.com and get started today."
"Don't wait another minute. Subscribe now!"

People respond positively to those they respect, trust and believe to be better informed. It's your job to establish those qualities in your advertisement. You must also convince them that your product or service is the one that best serves their needs. Do that correctly, and it will be a simple matter for them to take you up on your offer.