A media company called Starcom has poured cold water on the idea that the number of clicks on a banner ad on a Web page is a good method of measuring success.

Starcom have worked out that only a very small group of consumers who are not representative of the total U.S. online population is accountable for the vast majority of display ad click-through behavior. Only six percent of the online population are responsible for half the number of clicks on banner advertising.

These are between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000 and behave differently online contrary to the typical Internet user. The heavy clickers visit auctions, gambling, and career services sites, which are left alone by most users.

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