As designers we always want our work to shine and be original. Web ads however come with a few set of rules that at times are almost contrary to what we know and feel.
Nothing highlights this more than the call to action button. I have seen awesome looking treatments that definitely gave the CTA dimension however it took away from both legibility and access. A 30 degree rotation looks cool but a person glimpsing at an Ad for maybe less than 2 seconds will not mentally recognize the button.
In their mind what are they seeing? Do they click everything? What is the product? What about the wording on the Button?
CTAs are like logos meaning you don't need to add the Nike logo on top of an athletes head to get the point across. Let the product and the button stand out from each other. Let the button be a button, as recognizable and easy to see and Use as possible.
We might hate the lack of originality, the rigidness of this bygone era button but the user will get it. And if that means that many more clicks, well that's the point. Just in keep in mind the basic idea of 70% content, 30% CTA, and that can help you along the way.
Check out these links below for awesome explanations and advice on CTAs, web ad design and more.
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/best-practices-for-designing-effective-banner-ads--webdesign-15766
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/call-to-action-buttons-guidelines-best-practices-and-examples/
Here is a way i like to set up a CTA. If you notice the button is simple and instantly draws your attention. Good. to the left of SHOP NOW, is the title of the book, product has now been identified. and hey before clicking take a second or two to see what it's all about.
I will be following this up with part 2 which will go into content and how to best utilize space, fonts.,and colors. Stay turned.