So you don’t like ads on websites/blogs

25 Feb, 2010

So you don’t like ads on websites/blogs

Web Development » Web Development Blog » So you don’t like ads on websites/blogs

So you don’t like ads.

If you have a website that has ads, you are probably no stranger to people commenting that you have too many ads on your website. Usually, I just smile and nod when I receive such comment but today, I thought I’d write my thoughts here. You don’t have to agree with me, and I encourage you to share your opinion in the comments section.

Firstly, we see ads everywhere; at bus stops, in newspapers, in magazines, at shopping malls and so on. And I don’t see why having ads on a website makes any difference to having ads somewhere else.

Secondly, as long as there is no pop-up ads or video-ads that start playing automatically on your website, I don’t think they are distracting enough to make you stop reading the content on the website.

Thirdly, are you forced to click on an ad before interacting with the website such as proceeding to another page or leaving a comment? If not, why too hard on them.

I agree having ads on the website doesn’t come without drawbacks. You, as the user, may have to scroll a bit more to read the content, the website might load a bit slower because it has to load extra data (images, javascript, etc) for the ads, it will use more bandwidth from your ISP because you’re loading more data, and some cleverly designed ads might grab your attention causing you to follow them which could possibly result in wasting your time.

However, you, as the user, have the right to block the ads if you find them extremely annoying by using ad-blocking plugins and software. And as the owners of the website, we have the right to put ads on our websites with the hopes of earning some pocket money. It also gives us an incentive to produce good content. It is a win-win situation.

So, I am all for having unobtrusive ads on websites. After all, someone has to pay for all the hosting, marketing and resources put into making and maintaining a website. But I understand it’s a tricky issue and I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please leave a comment to have your say and share your opinion.