There is a strong conflict in how we perceive and receive advertising.
On a business level, advertising is crucial and often fundamental to the success or even the survival of websites. However, on a personal level, a significant percentage of online users are tired of being bombarded with advertisements.
Cue the ad blocker.
As of 2022, 37% of global internet users use ad blockers according to Hootsuite. While this is significant, it doesn’t tell the full story.
The more insightful statistics are why people are choosing to use ad blockers.
- Over 62% of users aged 16-64 say there are too many ads.
- Ads get in the way of the visitor experience for 55% of people.
- Almost 41% feel ads are not relevant to them.
- 41% of people use Ad Blockers to protect their privacy.
Equipped with this information, it is clear that the majority of website visitors are using Ad Blockers for valid reasons.
So, how can we convince users to turn them off?
Understanding these pain points and addressing them in your messaging and approach is the first step to convincing your users to turn off their Ad Blockers.
Are Ad Blockers Costing You Revenue?
Before looking at how to communicate with users, it is important to acknowledge that these practices are only going to benefit your business if you are measuring and keeping track of ad engagement in the first place.
The effectiveness of your website advertising will vary depending on placement and relevance. Due to the varied nature of WordPress sites, customers often complicate the display of ads and become over-ambitious with their setups right out of the gate.
Positioning ads is a balancing act between not being obtrusive but still being visible.
Measuring the effectiveness of your advertising is especially beneficial when working with an ad network to curate and manage your website adverts.
A reporting system which grants your advertising partner access to the relevant statistics and data will ensure that they can easily change the content when it isn’t performing optimally. In addition, this will result in you receiving less calls from them which is always a bonus.
This self-service approach is what we have applied to our Advertiser Reporting Add-On.
Once you have a baseline of ad engagement data, you can then explore ways to encourage your users to disable Ad Blockers on your site, starting with an Ad Blocker detector.
Build Trust with Quality Visitors
There is a lot to be said for the age-old saying of attracting the “right kind” of visitors.
Curating your advertising content to the interests of your visitors creates a trusted environment around your brand and website.
Like you would seek an expert opinion for recommendations of products or services within a specific industry, your website can function as a portal to services and products. The products and services advertised will have been vetted by you, the experts.
The result is that visitors will trust your content and your judgment, potentially leading to greater ad engagement and happier customers. It can also lead to more referrals where word of mouth will encourage more visitors to your website because of the quality content and beneficial opinions about what products and services are the best in your industry.
It’s a win-win.
As a publisher, you can then emphasize that your website is respectful to the needs of its visitors and pledge to only serve genuinely beneficial advertising content.
Ultimately, disabling their Ad Blocker is your visitor’s choice, but in the process, you can build trust and confidence in your brand.
The trust principle is a technique adopted by many online newspapers.
How to Convince Your Visitors to Disable Their Ad Blockers
Be Polite
Unsurprisingly, being polite in how you approach the subject is more likely to generate a positive response. And before you try and add some “character,” passive-aggressiveness will not go down well with your visitors.
The best approach will be something like “This site is dependent on revenue from ad impressions to keep delivering our forward-thinking content. If you find this site valuable, please consider disabling your ad blocker”.
You would be surprised at the number of visitors who want to support websites like yours.
Messages like this can be simply delivered using our pro add-on, Ad Block Detection.
Be Persuasive
You know that your content is worth viewing, but do your visitors?
Emphasize the ways in which your visitors can benefit from your content and reassure them that they will not be bombarded with pop-up advertisements but instead carefully selected and relevant ads.
You can also gift your visitors a temporary free pass allowing them to discover how valuable your content is without disabling their Ad Blocker.
Be Understanding
Online users are now more aware of the volatility of their personal data. That is why almost 41% of users have stated that they use ad blockers to prevent companies from collecting their data.
As a business or website owner, you should be sympathetic to this very real concern. You can address it by being upfront about your privacy policy. Make sure it is easy to understand, and provide a way for visitors to contact you with concerns or questions.
You can also consider providing a paid option for your visitors in exchange for an ad-free experience. It is best as a monthly or annual subscription for as little as $5-10. Finding a suitable figure would depend on your average ad revenue but it certainly offers a better solution to generating nothing from visitors who keep their Ad Blockers activated on your site.
Knowing Your Audience
The crucial component in advertising anything is knowing your audience, and as a website owner, the same principle applies.
Any visitor to your website is likely to have a level of concern with regards to how their information is handled and what experience they will receive in return.
These are real concerns that should not be seen as a detriment to your website, but as an opportunity to create a strong rapport with your audience and build trust in your brand.
Therefore the words that you choose and the approach you take to create a safe and respectful visitor experience can pay dividends down the road.
Now that you understand the importance of your messaging, it’s time to apply it to your site!
If you already have a Basic license, you can get Ad Block Detection for only $19. Alternatively, you can get all of the Pro Add-Ons, plus any new releases, in one package with our Pro License. If you’d like to know anything more before making your decision, head over to our AdSanity Guide for more information.