Ad Blocking: How serious is the threat for online publishers?

The Ad block usage in the UK has increased manifold in 2015 - currently, over 20% of internet users use ad blocking software and it’s growing rapidly. This is a serious concern for online publishers when you consider that could factor into a total loss of £15 billion in revenue a year. Apple and Three have further raised the stakes when they recently announced plans to include content blocking software to all of their customers, which could soon see other operators shall follow suit if it proves popular. In one respect, you could say that ad blocking is creating a revolution in that some publishers will have to start focussing on the quality of content and relevancy of ad targeting to keep visitors engaged and less bothered by ads. Alternatively, for publishers who maintain a loyal customer base with high quality content, they are fighting back by denying users the access to their site’s content unless they disable the blockers such as Adblock Plus, AdFender and Popup Blocker. Or some are playing the coding tug of war game with ad blockers, updating their code frequently which forces the development community to get working again. On the flip side, mobile ad blocking is still in its infancy (less than 2.5% penetration) in the UK and Europe. Which brings a modicum of relief when site traffic through mobile has risen substantially, often 50 to 60% of traffic with some publishes quoting 80 to 90%. Considering that mobile content (especially video content) is estimated to account for 87% of global advertising spend by 2018 (ZenithOptimedia report), publishers following Mobile-First strategy are in good position to leverage maximum reach with minimal ad blocking. Audience demographics play a big role in the adoption of Ad blocking software. Websites catering to young and technically savvy audience are significantly worse, with industries such as Gaming and Sports being affected the most. And so it results back to the adage that as a publisher you are relevant, timely and provide quality content – your readers won’t revolt.