In a world where money is the deciding factor of possession and power, many will do anything for a quick buck — webmasters are no exception as they continue their never-ending quest to find quick, easy and automated streams of income.
There are thousands of ad networks that promise to deliver a high CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for displaying their ads. The issue is that these ads come in the form of highly distracting banner ads, pop-ups/unders, fly-ins and more. They are generally abused by webmasters as they believe doing so will maximize their website’s residual income.
This is far from the truth. Displaying too many ads can literally ruin a website’s image. While it is true that each visitor is more valuable as they are exposed to a maximum number of ads, they are highly unlikely to return to the website. Having a clean website with one or two banner ads will see a much higher visitor return rate than one that is over-polluted with them.
Contextual ads, such as those offered by Google AdSense, are becoming increasingly popular. Webmasters are able to add as many units their website can fit, all while maintaining a clean and crisp look. Contextual units display ads that are relevant to the website’s content, leaving an improved impression on the visitor. They much prefer a website with relevant ads than one with flashing banners commanding them to click to claim their prize, particularly when the ads are blended into the website.
