Report: One-fifth of customers use ad-blocking software

Published September 4, 2013 at 6:31 pm

Online advertising is hardly a new concept, but businesses must be smart about their approach. With technology evolving, customers can not only surf the web on numerous devices, but they can also prevent online ads from even displaying. If companies are not careful, this could cost them thousands of dollars in revenue, according to recent research.

PageFair, a company that tracks the extent of ad-blocking, released a report showing that out of 220 businesses, there was an average ad-blocking rate of 22.7 percent. The organization estimated that with a rate of 25 percent, companies could lose up to $500,000 per year due to customers blocking ads.

Specifically, websites where users are more likely to be technologically inclined, such as gaming websites, had one-third of visitors blocking ads. By contrast, travel sites had just 5 percent of their users blocking ads.

“Our interpretation of this data is that the severity of ad-blocking on a given site is positively correlated to the technical ability of its audience,” the report said. “Technical sites suffer nearly four times as badly as non-technical sites, with a steady progression in ad-blocking from travel and finance sites up to games and technology.”

Even with technology becoming more pertinent in daily operations for many businesses, and more consumers seeking online options, reasons like this are why companies should invest in numerous advertising options. For example, pairing direct mail marketing with an online campaign will ensure that firms have a better chance of reaching customers.

It’s not necessary to overwhelm consumers with multiple types of advertising, but targeted campaigns will reach the right audience and clearly lead customers back to the business.