Can the Web Survive Without Ads?

Imagine if your favorite blogs and websites didn’t have ads. The picture might feel appealing because you’re probably imagining a publication where every square inch of screen space is perfectly utilized by valuable content. The reality is a bit different.

Without ads, your favorite website has no money to pay writers or develop its website. Your favorite website might not even exist. It’s important to understand the relationship ads have with the rest of the Web, because it’s a key aspect of the formula for growth and technological development.

Improving the Web

The early days of the Web had no ads. Not the era of the AOL coffee coaster disc, the actual early days of the Web, where packet switching and email transmissions were all that was possible. The moment we saw the possibility to develop Web pages and publish material, we needed ads to sustain the ecosystem. Ads have helped develop technology that guarantees uptime, because lost hours means lost revenue.

Ads help pay for quality content and better Web development. Mobile technology, and accessibility, is all driven by the need to serve content faster. Ads are an extension of that relationship.

The Future

Ads currently have a stigma, and part of that has to do with poor practices. Up until the IAB defined ad standards, the Web was a Wild West of advertising. The future is full of viewable impressions and targeted ads. Advertisers get the assurance that a human is viewing their ads, and viewers will see ads only for products and services that may interest them.

Bio: Ted Dhanik is passionate about business development through digital advertising. Ted Dhanik CEO and co-founder of engage:BDR, a technology platform for mobile and desktop advertising. For more information on digital media and marketing, contact Ted Dhanik at engage:BDR.