There is a risk vs. reward scenario that we all play out when deciding to interact with an online ad or a website. With online ads and websites for games, there is a delicate dance to be had between publisher and gamer – one that isn't always done so delicately. As game marketers, our online marketing tools need to inspire excitement, passion, trust and commitment in the people we are marketing to. These emotions play into aspects of psychological interaction.

Is there a psychology to online advertising? If so, how does online advertising for games play into this psychology?

Disclaimer – I am not a psychologist. A little psycho, perhaps. A psychologist, definitely not. Seriously, I'm no more qualified to analyze human behavior than any other marketing guy. And yet, I've been a student of behavioral interaction ever since I started in this business. Still, take these comments and observations as they are intended – as a layman's (or lame man's) opinion and not medical fact.

We all want to evoke emotional responses to our online marketing devices. There are dozens of emotions we can feel when we see an ad or a website, some of which I noted above. Suffice it to say, these emotions can be a powerful ally in compelling the web surfer to click. What can we do in creating these online tools to heighten some of these emotional responses?