A new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) suggests two-thirds of ad blocker user could be persuaded to stop using them. The IAB's research drew on an eye-tracking study and survey data. For the eye-tracking study, 103 adults were asked to rate 924 digital ads and answer questions about ad blocking. For the survey, 201 adults were asked about their website preferences, habits and responses to digital ads.
One surprising finding revealed that while 40% of users believed they were using ad blockers on their computers, only one in four (26%) actually used the software on their PCs. The rest confused anti-virus and security software with ad blockers.
Who Blocks Ads?
- 26% block ads on computers and tend to be men 18-34 years old.
- 15% block ads on smartphones and tend to be men 18-34 years old.
Who Does Not Block Ads?
- Among consumers not blocking ads, 20% are past users of ad blockers. They stopped because content was blocked and messages asked them to unblock in order to view content.
- In addition,17% of consumers not blocking ads are at risk to start doing so largely for the same reasons as those currently using ad blockers, in addition to the fear of getting a virus.
Why Do Users Block Ads?
- All users, but especially consumers using ad blockers, want uninterrupted, quick browsing and a streamlined user experience.
- Among those that already use an ad blocker on their PC, the top reason for using it on a computer is the perception that sites are easier to navigate without ads.
- Among those that already use an ad blocker on their smartphone, the top reason for using it on a phone is the perception that ads slow down browsing.
- Consumers that use ad blockers tend to blame ads for slow loading pages, while those not currently using ad blockers tend to blame the content for slow loading pages.
Most annoying ad elements are:
- Ads that block content, long video ads before short videos, ads that follow down the page as the user scrolls.
- Consumers that use ad blockers are even more annoyed by these ad elements, especially auto-start ads
How Do Win Them Back?
The IAB says that respondents would be more likely to turn off ad blockers should publishers adopt the following methods:
- preventing access to content alongside a notice stating that content is blocked because of the use of ad blockers;
- ensuring that ads do not have auto-play audio or video in environments where they aren't anticipated by the consumer;
- make certain that ads do not block content;
- safeguard users from malware;
- guaranteeing that ads do not slow down browsing.
The report concludes that publishers should give users control over advertising including a video skip button and options to rate the ads.Publishers should also provide guarantees that the site and ads are secure, malware and virus-free, and won’t slow down browsing.
Download the full report.
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