The Dark Side of an Ad-Free Internet

Running a quality website is a full-time job.

Publishers spend hours and hours researching, writing, and uploading content. For many publishers, advertising revenue (programmatic advertising revenue, to be precise) is their primary source of income.

That’s why advocates of ad-blocking software, plugins, and browsers fail to see the bigger picture, and why publishers should consider implementing countermeasures to protect their revenue.

An absence of ads would undoubtedly improve user experience, but it would also have devastating effects on the internet, users, and publishers. This is especially true of small and medium-sized publishers, which often lack the means or ability to implement other monetization strategies like paywalls or subscriptions.

Consequences of an Ad-Free Internet

An ad-free internet would result in three potential outcomes.

• First, many small and medium-sized sites would simply be forced to shut down. They would have no means to support their work and would have no choice but to close their websites.

  
  

• Second, sites would need to start charging for their content. This strategy is only feasible for very large websites that already have a large readership. But smaller, less-established sites, wouldn’t be able to attract enough members to sustain their business.

  
  

• Third (and perhaps worst), sites would lose their independence. Struggling publishers unable to generate sufficient revenue would need to seek the support of a larger brand, sacrificing their integrity and independence.

Take a medium-sized cooking blog, for example. Without sufficient ad revenue, it would have two choices: close down or accept a corporate sponsor that would demand promoting of its products in all the recipes. Small and medium-sized news sites would face a similar fate. Without sufficient ad revenue, they would be compelled to find sponsors that would have influence over the content they produce.

In either scenario, major brands are the ones that benefit in an ad-free world, while users and small and medium-sized publishers suffer the consequences.

Ads, when implemented correctly, can help improve the online experience and the ability of users to access useful products that they otherwise would not be aware of.

In recent years, there have been major strides to improve ads and user experience. The Better Ads Standards by the Coalition for Better Ads is a prime example of the progress being made.

At the same time, ad blockers have been setting up “acceptable ad” initiatives that allow publishers to bypass the ad blocker to serve “acceptable” ads on their websites in return for payment.

In other words, ad blockers don’t care if you see ads, as long as they’re profiting from it.

Increased Awareness

Many people, particularly the younger generations that have grown up with the internet at their fingertips, are simply unaware of the adverse impact of ad blockers. For them, ad blockers are understandably just another tool to make their online browsing experience more comfortable.

That’s why it’s important to raise awareness about ad blockers and what an ad-free internet would actually mean. Having a larger quantity of articles, videos, and educational resources on the topic increases the likelihood of users being exposed to the issue.

Increased awareness is the key to finding a balance between the desire for optimal user experience and the desire to continue consuming free content and supporting the publishers that make that possible.

Ultimately, it's up to each individual to decide how they want to consume online content and whether they are willing to support the publishers that provide it. But that decision starts with a deeper understanding of the issue.

Solutions for Publishers

From a publisher’s perspective, it’s important to understand that they are not helpless.

Although there is no magical solution that can completely resolve the issue, there are ways to mitigate the harm of ad block.

Here are four solutions that publishers can implement:

Implementing an Anti-Ad Block Wall

One way that publishers can address the use of ad blockers is by implementing an anti-ad block wall. This tool detects ad blockers and displays a message on the users’ screen, explaining the negative consequences of ad blocking and requesting them to enable ads on the site.

There are two types of anti-ad block walls: "soft" and "hard." The soft option allows users to continue browsing with the ad blocker enabled, while the hard option blocks access to content until the user disables the ad blocker.

For the latter option to be effective, it’s important that publishers have a loyal audience.

Otherwise, the hard anti-ad block wall might deter users from remaining on the site, which will ultimately decrease the site’s traffic.

Using Native Ads

Another option is to use native ads, also known as content recommendations, which are ads that are designed to match the look and feel of the website.

These ad units are not typically blocked by ad blockers, which means publishers can use them to generate ad revenue even if a user is employing an ad blocker.

Paying the “Ransom” to Ad Block Companies

As mentioned above, ad blocking companies have “acceptable ad” initiatives that allow publishers to bypass the ad blocker to serve “acceptable” ads on their websites in return for payment.

Although this is not a popular option for publishers, and understandably so, it remains an option.

Working With a Reliable Monetization Company

The world of ad technology is complicated in and of itself, and ad blockers don’t make it any easier.

That’s why partnering with a reliable and Google-certified monetization company can help publishers mitigate the damage of ad blockers.