Blocking AdBlock Visitors is Shortsighted

You Could be Losing Links and Word of Mouth & Social Media Traffic

[IanCP]

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System: The following message was cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google_adsense/4799826.htm [webmasterworld.com] by martinibuster - 6:43 pm on Apr 10, 2016 (utc -5)

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Are people turning off their ad blockers for your site?

On a companion topic I said I still see AdSense text ads with AdBlock Plus in IE 11. I can only recollect one instance of a site with a message about turning off ABP to gain entry.

I simply went to the next site in Google search. I expect the vast majority of other people would do exactly the same.

People mostly don't mind unobtrusive Ads, it's the accompanying garbage which most of us find annoying. Blocking visitors because they have an Ad Blocker is as short sighted as you can get, I will tell you my philosophy which I believe to be commercially sound.

We all know X% of visitors are never going to click and ads. No matter what. They regard Ads as a pestilence. I personally have no problem with them.

Consider this scenario - where both my site, and another site are both real up to date zinger sites on painting blue widgets. The first site denies entry because an AdBlocker is installed. That person then goes to my site where they will still never click on anything - ads, affiliate links.

However having found my site was the answer to their prayers for their "problem of the day" - they email their friends, post links to my site on forums, facebook etc. resulting not only in thousands of new visitors, but some clicking ad ones as well, people who bookmark my site as an excellent future reference.

Do you see the very short sighted stupidity in blocking visitors? There is absolutely no profit in cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Andy Langton]

Maybe in some kind of utopian future...Ask yourself this... How many sites still use pop-up ads? Or pop-unders? Hardly any, im guessing, But have you ever gone into your browser options and unticked the box that blocks them?

Most people are not going to go into browser settings and tick options, agreed. And yet, adblocking is hugely popular - which requires an active effort to change browser settings (built-in adblocking notwithstanding). I have no vested interest in this discussion. My opinion is that until a "clueless" user has no motivation to block ads, adblocking will continue to be popular.

[tangor]

Its not going to happen unless they are forced to (ie. If you block them)

That is true. So how do you force them to see ads? (Wait for it!)
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You serve ads a different way, one that is acceptable, non intrusive, privacy secure and above all, not abusive. You can't change the user at this point, but you sure as heck can change the vendor---and all that that means!

This conversation has been all about the chicken and egg when all WE REALLY WANT is a freakin' omelet.

To block or not to block is not the question. The question is how do we go forward from here. When in panic mode short term solutions seem easiest, but long term you look for a different path, one not yet taken (or one not generally traveled). There are other paths. Not as plug and play, but well worth the effort as the rewards are generally greater.

[trebuchet]

I'm with @londrum. I have never used ads in an irresponsible way. I'm aware that other publishers have, however I'm not responsible for them, nor do I have any control over what they do. I'm responsible for my sites only. I understand that I'm collateral damage, just don't tell me I'm doing the wrong thing if I decide to wear this flak jacket and kevlar helmet for a while.

But would they wear them forever? When the noise decreases, people gradually remove their earmuffs.

Not if their earmuffs are permanently attached to their heads. For one thing, they won't know the noise has died down. For another, they might find they enjoy the silence. That's the problem I have with adblockers - not that they are unjustified but that their continued and expanding use will condition people against advertising. Advertising is essential in a capitalist economy and seeing an ad near a road, on a wall or next to my content is not an attack on your human rights.

[tangor]

just don't tell me I'm doing the wrong thing if I decide to wear this flak jacket and kevlar helmet for a while

No one will. Just have to ask how long you intend to be in defensive mode (ignoring the problem) as opposed to offensive mode (getting the job done)?

In every contest, of any kind, there comes a point when the combatants realize their current strategy is not accomplishing the goal.

Most good combatants know there is more than one way to skin a cat. (Note: no felines were actually harmed in this statement!)

[trebuchet]

Just have to ask how long you intend to be in defensive mode (ignoring the problem)

It should be clear from previous posts that I'm not "ignoring" anything.