Online Ads: Why You Should Limit Them on Your Website
Advertisements are an integral part of the Internet today. Although many website visitors may find them distracting, advertisements help many websites stay online. Without ads, many website owners would find it difficult to afford their website’s hosting and upkeep. However, this doesn’t mean that a site owner should fill his or her site with as many ads as possible. The following list explains some important reasons why you should be selective with the advertisement banners that you place on your own website.
Visual Distraction
Too many ads can easily distract your viewer’s attention. Your visitor may become so distracted by an abundance of ads that she completely misses the important content on your site. A large collection of ads can also make the distinction between your content and the advertiser’s content visually unclear.
Design Clash
Some ads are tastefully designed to blend in well with any site design. Others are small and unobtrusive, regardless of where you place them. However, the more ads you have, the less these ads will blend in with your site’s current look. If you spent a lot of time on your design, don’t cover it up with obvious banners. People will forget your stunning design if it’s completely blocked by advertisements.
Search Engine Traffic
A grid of banner ads on your website can have a negative impact on your search engine ranking. Most search engines penalize websites with too many ads. Some major search engines analyze how many ads are at the top of a website before determining the website’s ranking. Some search engines may even flag your site as spam.
Quick Exit
Some Internet users feel alarmed when they visit a website with a vast array of blinking advertisements. They may fear that they’ve clicked on a spam or malware-infected website. These visitors will leave your website without even glancing at your content. Your goal as a website owner is to keep your visitors reading your website for as long as possible. If you insist on including frustrating elements on your website, you will quickly find yourself with few visitors.
Lack of Control Over Ads
Many ad companies give you limited control over your advertisements, but others do not. You may even see an ad on your own website that advertises a message you disagree with. You might also find some banners that contradict your website’s focus. For example, if you run a website about a popular video game, a banner ad for a competing video game will undermine your message. If you have a huge number of ads, you will need to stay diligent to make sure no unwanted ads appear on your website. If you don’t want to constantly babysit your banners, remove a few to make your job easier.
Technical Issues
A massive collection of advertisements can actually slow down a user’s computer. If your newest visitor finds his computer slowing down to an unusable speed, he will leave your website and never return. Internet users with a slow connection can also have a negative browsing experience when viewing your site. Advertisements rely on a number of different scripts that can take extra time to load on a slow connection. With so many websites available on the Internet, a frustrated user will give up on yours and go to another one.
Conflict with Advertisers
Some advertising companies have rules and regulations about placing their ads next to another company’s ads. You should consult any agreements you have made with an advertising company before adding any new banners. If you break any agreements with a sponsor company, the company may terminate your contract. Additionally, some companies only allow you to display a certain number of their ads on your site.
Category: Marketing, Website Tips
