How to Tackle Ad Blockers Throwing Publishers for a Loss

Ad blocking is a growing trend among those on the Internet, and it is posing a serious problem for publishers. Yet despite the impact it has on revenue, few companies know if anything can be done about it.

According to surveys conducted by the data management firm Cxense and the journal Editor and Publisher asking industry pros if they tracked the number of users blocking ads when visiting their website, only 16.9 percent said their company had this capability. When asked if there was a strategy in place for dealing with blocked ads, fewer than 15 percent said yes; almost half said their company had none, and a third said they were unsure.

Yet while there is no doubt that ads are being blocked, there is uncertainty as to what can be done about it without cutting off the flow of website traffic and, subsequently, revenue. While some firms are turning to hard and soft paywalls, others are using friendly nudges that remind viewers that ads are the price for free use of a site. Still others are taking a hardline approach, notifying viewers that if ad blockers are turned on, content will be blocked. However, without an effective tracking strategy, the efficacy of any tactic cannot be ascertained.