The online advertising industry brings in billions of dollars in revenue. The number one threat to the industry, however? Ad blocking. Getting around this issue is not an easy feat for advertisers, given the 41 percent growth in ad blocking in 2015, with 198 million active users worldwide.
But are ads really as bad as they seem?
Poor ad quality and viruses are often cited as reasons users look to install ad blockers. However, evidence suggests that most users download ad blockers simply because the ad blocker exists.
The Ad Blocking Dilemma
More ads mean slower load times, and slow load time create a sub par user experience. It’s the main issue in ad blocking, and it’s one most advertisers don’t usually address. Excessive ad weight also leads to extra data usage and drains users’ data plans and battery. These UI obstacles are bad enough to convince many users to download an ad blocker, not just because they find the ads annoying.
Although mobile ad blocking is not as prevalent as online ad blocking, it is definitely on the rise, especially with Apple’s recent addition of ad blocking software in the App Store. With mass availability, an increase in mobile ad blocking will be no surprise once consumers start adopting the practice en masse.
Visitors to gaming websites are usually a young, male audience, and are significantly more likely to block ads. This trend forces gaming advertisers to implement better targeting to reach this ad blocker-happy user segment. It also forces publishers and media sites to continually improve the site experience, even if it includes ads, through tactics like content marketing.
Even if sites and advertisers were able to optimize the UI of digital ads, there is still the issue of relevancy. If ads only showed relevant content to viewers, advertisers would undoubtedly see higher rates. Advertisers and designers are now being more conscientious about using light weight and creatively appropriate messaging for each brand specific audience, and media sites are continually optimizing ad placements to fit into a more natural experience.
Even with all the adjustments made on an individual level, if the industry does not address and attempt to fix these issues, they stand to lose up to $35 billion within the next four years.
Innovations in Print Advertising
Print advertisers, on the other hand, face a different set of dilemmas. Although print advertising has decreased in recent years, advertisers are always finding ways to stay compelling and creative. Chevrolet’s print ad with video in last April’s editions of Esquire and Popular Mechanics was an intriguing way of advertising the Chevy Colorado to subscribers. Before Chevy, Moto X released an interactive ad in the January 2014 issue of Wired, which allowed the phone to change colors when touching the respective color button.
These cross-medium and interactive concepts are how print advertisers can overcome things once thought to be challenges to the print market. With creative thinking that blends online and offline behavior advertising maintains its relevancy in any format or medium.
What happens now?
Whether it’s a print or mobile ad, the key is finding ways of giving users a positive advertising experience through creativity, playfulness, and intrigue. Creating a site with relevant content and appropriate use of ads could make it possible for users to cease to feel the need to use ad blockers. Ad blocking is not the end of advertising. It is an obstacle that requires adaptation and acceptance from the industry in order to discover new, more innovative ways to communicate. Advertisers that understand the complexities of website usage, user behavior and experience will be able to take on this multi-billion dollar problem, and coexist in harmony with users.
