Tips To Handle Adblock Users
The dramatic rise of adblockers only continues to grow with no end in sight, and it continues to strip numerous businesses of their primary and only source of revenue. Adblockers are a godsend to users and a bane to websites as most users have very little faith in an advertisers’s ability to display relevant ads. This leads to web publishers suffering the brunt of the damage as most adblockers will universally ban ads from every website unless the user specifies otherwise.
Most websites would need to shutter if they do not have ad revenue, and while customers may be aware of this, they also find ads to be really pissing off. In order to keep the Internet a free and open place, we need ads and we need to find ways to get users to understand the same.
Request users to whitelist your website
Most websites have taken to displaying a message once the website detects the usage of an adblocker. Politely explaining to your users why ads are necessary for your website is an incredibly effective strategy as such messages are often seen as honest. A simple message explaining why your website needs ad revenue to function effectively can get users to whitelist your site and allow them to see ads on your page. This strategy is effective as it directly targets a user’s consciousness and makes them feel bad for exploiting your hard work.
Block users who use adblockers
Websites such as Forbes simply block users who use adblockers and permit access only when the page has been whitelisted. Blocking users is a very effective strategy for websites that already a have significant user base and/or other sources of revenue. This is a popular strategy as the content costs money to make, and the money is returned in the form of ads. However, we do not recommend this strategy to websites without a major presence as your user base will decrease. For emerging websites, this method should never be employed.
Redirect adblock users
Redirecting adblock users is a less heavy handed way of dealing with such users than blocking them outright. You can redirect users to some content that is not considered to be premium or you can redirect them to a page that explains why you need the ad revenue. This measure is arguably an amalgamation of blocking and requesting politely, and it can also prove to be surprisingly effective.
Have some premium content and some free content
The British paper The Telegraph uses an innovative solution to deal with adblockers. They allow anyone to read certain articles on their website for no charge at all and certain other articles are premium articles for which users need to pay. This way the website does not penalize adblock users and it encourages its most loyal users to sign up and pay for premium content. This method had proven to be effective for the paper as it allows it to keep some content free while not missing out on revenue at the same time.
Ask users for contributions
Ad revnue is constantly declining across industries and many websites have taken to asking users to make contributions to ensure that their website runs freely without any ads. This way your website will not be displaying any ads on the webpage and your most loyal customers can make contributions to keep your site running. For this to be effective, you need to constantly remind users of the necessity of a contribution in order to guilt a bunch of them into donating money to you. Once you build up a large enough user base and you are confident that you have loyal users, you can adopt this strategy.
Ask your users to submit voluntary data
Numerous websites have taken to asking users for personal data in an effort to ensure contextualized, targeted advertising. The goal is to display relevant ads that are applicable to a user and are not malicious in nature. You can ask users to sign up with a message explaining the same or you can get them to take a survey about the same. This level of personalization can be beneficial for users, and if your request comes across as honest and sincere, users will be likely to oblige.
Have a very limited number of ads
The volume of ads is something that drives most users away from a site and towards an adblocker. Publishers should be wary of loading their pages with too many ads and you should not devote more than a few slots to advertisers. In order to improve customer experience, you will need to conduct research to determine the most appropriate ad placement on your site. It may decline your revenue but it can do wonders to improve customer confidence.