Some online advertising may irritate web users, but 98% have said they would never stump up the cash for an ad-free browsing experience.
Ebuzzing, a company that creates video inventory, posed the question to 1,427 UK web users in August 2014 after it was able to approximate the value of each web user.
IAB figures for the full-year 2013 stated that a total of £6.3 billion was spent on digital advertising in 2013 and, according to ONS, there are 45 million UK web users. Based on this, Ebuzzing estimates the average web user has a value of £140.
Necessary improvements
The vast majority of users may not be willing to pay £140, but they do feel video advertising needs to improve as 63% of web users skip online video ads in the quickest time possible.
Throughout the younger-aged 16-24 generation the figure rises to 75%. Additionally, 26% sidestep the ads by muting the sound and one in five simply scroll away from the video.
There are other video ad avoidance tactics being employed too, with 16% choosing to use ad prevention software such as browser extensions and 16% simply opening a new window or tab.
‘Poor’ standard of video ads
Other research highlights that video ads are becoming longer in duration and this could be the root cause for some users losing interest, but Jeremy Arditi, Managing Director, UK at Ebuzzing says it is simply down to quality control.
“Poorly made or poorly placed ads get ignored, which means publishers lose out. We need to get better at engaging, not better at interrupting,” he recommends.
“That means introducing new formats which consumers find less invasive, more creative ads that are better placed, and giving consumers a degree of choice and control.”
More evidence weighing heavily against paid-for alternatives came from mobile apps, where Ebuzzing discovered that 77% of consumers have never opened their wallets for ad-free versions of apps.