ORLANDO, FL – Advertisers seek to drive consumers to their websites as the Internet becomes a more important element in their marketing plans. As a result, web traffic and search results are increasingly regarded as measures of marketing success.

New research from Affinity confirms that magazine ads with URLs are more likely to drive readers to advertiser websites overall, as well as across a range of genres. Even if "drive to web" is not the goal of the advertising campaign, including a URL to boost web visits is a benefit most advertisers will appreciate, says the report.

The VISTA research is based on an analysis of 833 ads in seven different magazines representing six distinct magazine genres:

The research from VISTA reinforces earlier work. Marketing Evolution aggregated nine studies that had quantifiable data on web visits to examine how magazine ads contributed to building web traffic. Findings showed that when the URL was included in the magazine advertising creative the percentage change in website visits tripled (from two to six points):

Both pieces of research underscore the importance of accountability for magazine advertising creative. A number of initiatives have shown that creative quality is the most important factor in affecting advertising results, although media engagement also plays a role.

To strengthen marketers' "drive to web" efforts, Magazine Publishers of America has complied independent research that documents how various online and offline media influence consumers' online behavior, including:

• The role of media in driving online traffic, search and purchase behavior 
• The role of media in driving consumer response to online video ads

The research includes both third-party surveys from the American Advertising Federation (AAF), BigResearch (for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association), Mediamark Research, Inc., and the Online Publishers Association, as well as a new quantitative analysis from the research and consulting firm Marketing Evolution, that shows the impact of magazines in affecting web visits, examining results throughout the purchase funnel.

Overall conclusions of the compiled data:

• Offline media perform well in driving web traffic and search, often better than online media, even when URL addresses are missing or not prominently displayed in offline ads
• Media synergy is important, though each medium influences online behavior differently and plays a distinctive role
• Looking at qualified search, those consumers ready to make a purchase, paints a different picture of media usage than total search, which is most often the focus of advertisers
• When looking at the role individual media play in driving web results, magazines most consistently drive web traffic and search

In addition, conclusions from quantitative analysis:

• Magazine ads had a major impact on building web traffic
• Magazine ads generated web traffic at each stage of the purchase funnel, especially purchase intent
• Including a URL in magazine ads significantly increased web visits www.magazine.org /accountability

And, from an earlier study from the AAF:

Finally, in support of the trend to Interactive marketing spending, a recent Forrester report, US Interactive Marketing Spend, 2009 to 2014, shows the expected growth:

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