If you're among the 22% of UK consumers using an ad blocker, you already know that some content-heavy sites (like The Guardian) will allow you to see what they publish but will also request (not require) that you turn off the ad blocker or pay.
And you know that some sites will block you for using an ad blocker--requiring you to turn it off when viewing their pages. If the ad blocker remains on, the content will not load.
Now Google is going to release its own Chrome-based ad blocking software in 2018. The idea is to give consumers more control over ads that are particularly annoying or that don't fit Google's guidelines for some other reason. Why? Because 'it's far too common that people encounter annoying, intrusive ads on the web - like the kind that blare music unexpectedly, or force you to wait 10 seconds before you can see the content on the page', says a Google exec.
Google will also allow content providers to either require that consumers turn off their blockers for those sites or levy a fee for viewing the content.
Consumers who want to access content will have to change their behaviour. Already, content sites are educating visitors that content costs money, one way or the other, and turning off the ad blocker allows a site to continue receiving advertising revenue without any direct payment from the consumer.
Will the new Chrome ad blocker change consumer behaviour and increase the number of UK users? The answer may depend, in part, on whether the blocker comes preinstalled and in place. We'll have to wait a little longer for the details.
Showing posts with label ad blockers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ad blockers. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Monday, 28 September 2015
Online marketers and ad blockers
Online advertisers and content marketers are unhappy with ad blocking software that so many consumers have installed to filter out, well, ads. Annoyed by non-targeted or simply irrelevant ads, or impatient to see content they are waiting to see, 39% of UK consumers in a recent study were found to be using ad blockers to keep ads out of sight. When Apple recently released an updated iPhone operating system, ad blocker apps skyrocketed to the top of the App store ranking.
But this means web sites don't have as many visitors who count as 'viewers' or 'exposures' to adverts. As a result, some are fighting back by blocking consumers who use ad blockers. At the very least, a number of sites are explaining why consumers shouldn't use ad blockers--namely, because ad revenue helps support quality content, and blocking those ads means revenue is lost to the sites that need it. With lower revenue, sites may have to reduce the quality content they post or find other revenue sources (such as subscriptions).
Other avenues exist for marketers to reach out to consumers in creative ways, with non-ad messages that build brands and reinforce image. Instagram is increasingly used by Nike and other brands, and Pinterest recently added a 'buy' button to facilitate shipping in the US.
Watch for more innovations as ad blockers continue to be popular and marketers test ideas for engaging consumers in multiple digital media.
But this means web sites don't have as many visitors who count as 'viewers' or 'exposures' to adverts. As a result, some are fighting back by blocking consumers who use ad blockers. At the very least, a number of sites are explaining why consumers shouldn't use ad blockers--namely, because ad revenue helps support quality content, and blocking those ads means revenue is lost to the sites that need it. With lower revenue, sites may have to reduce the quality content they post or find other revenue sources (such as subscriptions).
Other avenues exist for marketers to reach out to consumers in creative ways, with non-ad messages that build brands and reinforce image. Instagram is increasingly used by Nike and other brands, and Pinterest recently added a 'buy' button to facilitate shipping in the US.
Watch for more innovations as ad blockers continue to be popular and marketers test ideas for engaging consumers in multiple digital media.
Thursday, 27 March 2014
What about online ad blocking?
Ad blocking software is increasingly popular, installed by consumers who prefer not to see interstitial ads (which appear briefly while other content is loading), blinking ads, skyscraper banner ads (narrow and tall), pop-ups or pop-unders, and other types of Internet ads. E-Consultancy singles out ads that obscure online content as being particularly annoying.
Adblock Plus is only one of many web browser add-ons that consumers use to make online ads disappear. Yet Adblock Plus does allow some ads to be visible, if they meet its guidelines and pay for the privilege of being whitelisted (except for small advertisers).
If consumers don't see ads, advertisers won't reach their target audiences--and sites that rely on being paid for advertising may be hurt financially. So the Irish tech firm Pagefair is now offering websites the ability to install software that prevents ad blocking software from, well, blocking ads.
'Ad blocking costs websites money' is the headline on Pagefair's home page. Hundreds of websites use Pagefair to counter the blocking, and the company also aims to educate consumers about how ad blockers affect sites.
Pagefair's research suggests 20% of visitors to its clients' websites have ad blockers installed to prevent ads from being visible. Pagefair provides clients with analytics to evaluate the situation on their sites and the option to display ads requesting that consumers turn off the ad blocker and make ads visible.
Are ubiquitous or annoying ads necessary to keep the financial balance of the Internet? Should consumers care about the effect ad blockers have on websites' bottom line? How can advertisers encourage consumers to allow ads, through better targeting and better content and format? What are the ethical considerations for advertisers and for consumers?
Adblock Plus is only one of many web browser add-ons that consumers use to make online ads disappear. Yet Adblock Plus does allow some ads to be visible, if they meet its guidelines and pay for the privilege of being whitelisted (except for small advertisers).
If consumers don't see ads, advertisers won't reach their target audiences--and sites that rely on being paid for advertising may be hurt financially. So the Irish tech firm Pagefair is now offering websites the ability to install software that prevents ad blocking software from, well, blocking ads.
'Ad blocking costs websites money' is the headline on Pagefair's home page. Hundreds of websites use Pagefair to counter the blocking, and the company also aims to educate consumers about how ad blockers affect sites.
Pagefair's research suggests 20% of visitors to its clients' websites have ad blockers installed to prevent ads from being visible. Pagefair provides clients with analytics to evaluate the situation on their sites and the option to display ads requesting that consumers turn off the ad blocker and make ads visible.
Are ubiquitous or annoying ads necessary to keep the financial balance of the Internet? Should consumers care about the effect ad blockers have on websites' bottom line? How can advertisers encourage consumers to allow ads, through better targeting and better content and format? What are the ethical considerations for advertisers and for consumers?
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