Enough are doing it that it’s still profitable. Last estimates I saw were 10% who saw an ad clicked one, and 10% of those who clicked bought what they saw
It’s actually been dropping over time. It used to be more like 10%, now I see some people celebrating 0.4% conversation rate. What’s also been happening in conjunction is the cost has dropped. On like Facebook and stuff now you can serve like 1000 impressions for like $5 or something. I don’t know exact numbers on cost there but stupid low like 0.10¢ per clicked ad.
Across a lot of media, impressions are so cheap now they don’t even charge for them, just the clicks cost (“CPC” is the charge type, “cost per click”). They track impressions to give advertisers metrics on conversion rates, but they don’t charge for them.
The terms you want to search of you’re curious “Click through Rate” and “Conversion Rate”. It’s actually been falling over time as people get more and more used to ignoring ads or using ad blockers. They vary some for type of product and location of ad (fantasy novels on a book blog are likely to be higher, drop ship Amazon stuff on Facebook are likely to be lower), but yeah, not super high.
The thing is, I do not honestly object to ads - the internet has got to be paid for somehow…
My objection is the way that ads are served. It’s the creepy stalking users far and wide across the web that irks me.
This targeted bullshit. No, no and NO!
I’m more likely when I am on any given site - to check out an ad that is discrete, static and embedded and shows up regardless of the ad blocker I use.
That is different.
At that point, I’m seeing something that another person or business that runs the site has made a decision to advertise, it may be a product or service they like and use.
Back in the day you could catch malware from online ads. And the pop-ups, the damn pop-ups, so annoying. For me, the final straw was when ads got sound. That got real old real fast, kind of like web pages with embedded MIDIs. I installed an ad blocker and haven’t looked back. Any time I browse Internet without a blocker it’s a horror show that kills me inside. If ads were reasonably sized static images I could manage it, but advertisers shot themselves in the foot by making their ads so obnoxious and went all-in on tracking. The trust is gone forever. Ads and advertisers can burn in hell.
The pop-up ads that spawned more pop-ups, and they were all animated and played sound. The only way out was holding down the power button until the computer dies.
“What’s your problem with adds, I love them. They always recommend things I could actually use. It’s genuinely a great way for me to learn about new products or services.”
Do we know the same people? I asked the two who said this if they actually click on the ads and buy something. You can imagine my horror when they said yes. Meanwhile, I have a Pihole on my network and uBlock on every single browser.
The average person has magic black rectangle for worldwide interaction. That’s the extent of their knowledge, cookies are a foreign concept if they don’t come straight out of the oven
Sure. Fundamentally, this is what ads should do. The problem comes from how intrusive they are in pushing their propaganda. And now they’re literally everywhere.
I remember back in the day before browser tabs when sites would open new windows for ads. And sometimes those ads would open more windows for ads. And some of those windows had sound, or porn, or both. Worse yet, some would open off screen so you couldn’t easily close them. That’s where the term “pop-up” came from in pop-up blockers.
Even Youtube is filled with scam ads, trusting ads to deliver you worthwhile results is like trusting Facebook not to sell your data to the highest bidder.
I sometimes do it if it’s a company I really dislike. Then I immediately click back, happy in the knowledge that my brief action probably cost that company a tiny bit of money.
You also never clicked an advert or used your real name.
Please tell me that people aren’t clicking ads…
Enough are doing it that it’s still profitable. Last estimates I saw were 10% who saw an ad clicked one, and 10% of those who clicked bought what they saw
That’s just hard to fathom for me. Wow.
It’s actually been dropping over time. It used to be more like 10%, now I see some people celebrating 0.4% conversation rate. What’s also been happening in conjunction is the cost has dropped. On like Facebook and stuff now you can serve like 1000 impressions for like $5 or something. I don’t know exact numbers on cost there but stupid low like 0.10¢ per clicked ad.
Across a lot of media, impressions are so cheap now they don’t even charge for them, just the clicks cost (“CPC” is the charge type, “cost per click”). They track impressions to give advertisers metrics on conversion rates, but they don’t charge for them.
1% of ad views result in a sale? That seems implausible
The terms you want to search of you’re curious “Click through Rate” and “Conversion Rate”. It’s actually been falling over time as people get more and more used to ignoring ads or using ad blockers. They vary some for type of product and location of ad (fantasy novels on a book blog are likely to be higher, drop ship Amazon stuff on Facebook are likely to be lower), but yeah, not super high.
The thing is, I do not honestly object to ads - the internet has got to be paid for somehow…
My objection is the way that ads are served. It’s the creepy stalking users far and wide across the web that irks me.
This targeted bullshit. No, no and NO!
I’m more likely when I am on any given site - to check out an ad that is discrete, static and embedded and shows up regardless of the ad blocker I use.
That is different.
At that point, I’m seeing something that another person or business that runs the site has made a decision to advertise, it may be a product or service they like and use.
The rest of it though… can rot.
Back in the day you could catch malware from online ads. And the pop-ups, the damn pop-ups, so annoying. For me, the final straw was when ads got sound. That got real old real fast, kind of like web pages with embedded MIDIs. I installed an ad blocker and haven’t looked back. Any time I browse Internet without a blocker it’s a horror show that kills me inside. If ads were reasonably sized static images I could manage it, but advertisers shot themselves in the foot by making their ads so obnoxious and went all-in on tracking. The trust is gone forever. Ads and advertisers can burn in hell.
The pop-up ads that spawned more pop-ups, and they were all animated and played sound. The only way out was holding down the power button until the computer dies.
I’ve clicked a few. Mostly by accident, the rest by deception.
My wife does. I throw it back in her face whenever she gets wide ‘you click the ads’
From an actual conversation I had once:
“What’s your problem with adds, I love them. They always recommend things I could actually use. It’s genuinely a great way for me to learn about new products or services.”
Do we know the same people? I asked the two who said this if they actually click on the ads and buy something. You can imagine my horror when they said yes. Meanwhile, I have a Pihole on my network and uBlock on every single browser.
The average person has magic black rectangle for worldwide interaction. That’s the extent of their knowledge, cookies are a foreign concept if they don’t come straight out of the oven
do you live within c-suite boardroom powerpoint presentation
This was definitely in a corporate setting lmao
Sure. Fundamentally, this is what ads should do. The problem comes from how intrusive they are in pushing their propaganda. And now they’re literally everywhere.
I remember back in the day before browser tabs when sites would open new windows for ads. And sometimes those ads would open more windows for ads. And some of those windows had sound, or porn, or both. Worse yet, some would open off screen so you couldn’t easily close them. That’s where the term “pop-up” came from in pop-up blockers.
~Talk about whack-a-mole.~
Even Youtube is filled with scam ads, trusting ads to deliver you worthwhile results is like trusting Facebook not to sell your data to the highest bidder.
Wait… you’re watching youtube w/o an ad-blocker?
I haven’t seen a YT ad in more than a decade, I did happen to watch this Coffeezilla video yesterday on AI deepfake ads.
I sometimes do it if it’s a company I really dislike. Then I immediately click back, happy in the knowledge that my brief action probably cost that company a tiny bit of money.
(Side note: I’m an early Internet user.)
Are you one of those people that returned empty prepaid junk mail flyers? ;)
Every time! I usually filled the envelope with whatever other rubbish I could fit in it too.
Excellent!
🤝
I used to click ads on websites I liked back in the aughts
I don’t even see the ads anymore, just the close button. My eyes just slide off the edges.