Pro Tips to Fix the Growing Ad Blocking Dilemma

Scrolling through Internet sites without popups and automatic video ads stealing the spotlight is kind of nice. Coincidentally, millions of people worldwide agree. The ad blocking epidemic is not a new issue for marketers. AdAge confirms that one of the most popular ad blocker services, AdBlock Plus, currently has 50 to 60 million active users. 

People who work in Web development are committed to combatting this issue. Though the ad blocking dilemma is not foreign to advertisers, it is becoming more prevalent as millennials are finding more ways to customize their devices. There are a few ideas in the works about how to fix ad blocking, but they have yet to be proven. 

Ad Blockers Want Advertisers’ Money

This may seem highly counterproductive, but ad blocker services are willing to help advertisers out with a little money. Some big-name companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have actually paid AdBlock Plus to prevent blocking on their sites. There are Web development firms that are working on programs to combat blocking features. For now, though, this is an easy fix, despite how controversial it appears.

Native Advertising

Apparently, ad blockers have trouble recognizing that paid content is a form of advertising. This does not work in all circumstances, especially for search ads and paid listings in content recommendation sections. Native advertising has proven itself successful to avoid the banner ads problem, as consumers seldom realize that sponsored content is actually advertisement material.

Offer Free and Paid Versions of Websites

Mobile apps already participate in this, so why can’t websites? People that are anti-ads just might be willing to pay for ad-free sites. Those who work in Web development can create webpages to fulfill both objectives. Simply enough, a free site is supported by ads and a paid version has absolutely no advertisements.

Ad blocking is hurting corporate finances everywhere, but professionals are working on ways to fight against the problem. For Internet advertisers, view counts are vital for effectiveness. These anti-ad blocking methods work for a lot of big-name companies, though whether they’ll work for everyone remains to be seen.

Aubrey Andersen-Bakker writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. He writes for many other clients as well.