Will the Popularity of Ad Blocking Software Diminish Your Profits

If you publish a blog or manage a forum, you’ve worked hard for the revenue you generate. Although there are numerous ways to generate income, you are probably receiving at least some part of your revenue through ads. While this has been a lucrative option in the past, an increasing number of users are finding ways to block ads, potentially diminishing your returns.

There’s good reason to be concerned. Although ad blocking software has been available almost as long as ads themselves, the software had to be located, downloaded and then installed. While the process was a relatively simple one, only the most technically savvy users would pursue this option. In the last few years, ad blocking features have made their way into popular security and anti-virus applications such as McAfee. This simplicity brings ad blocking to a wider range of users. In addition, Firefox now offers an ad blocking add-on for their popular browser. This add-on quickly made its way to the Most Popular download list and has held its position for some time. This trend clearly shows that a greater percentage of Internet users are interested in removing your avenue to profitability.

Projections vary widely across the Internet. Some Internet Marketers show little concern over this trend because they do not foresee a large number of users blocking ads. Many theorize that those users who do block advertisements generally wouldn’t buy from them anyway. On the other hand, there are those who fear that this signifies the end of advertising revenue altogether.

The reality may fall somewhere in the middle. Not so many years ago, pop-up ads were preferable. It didn’t take long for pop-up blockers to become so prevalent that they were included within browsers. This too felt like a blow to Internet Marketers. They eventually rose to the challenge by finding new and even more successful ways to present advertisements. While this challenge will certainly require both thought and planning, in all likelihood, newer methods of marketing will develop once again. In the meantime, watch your statistics carefully, and be ready to investigate new methods should your site take an impact.