Going by statistics, Adblock plus has been downloaded more than 300 million times worldwide and has 50 million monthly active users. This is unsurprising because Adblock plus which is a plugin developed by Eyeo, a German company, have assisted many online users, to block unsolicited advert. These adverts can be overwhelming and frustrating. So, thank you Eyeo for developing this plugin.
Despite the seeming advantage of Adblock plus, companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and media companies are concerned about the impact of Adblock on their business. In fact, Google, Amazon and Microsoft have paid money to prevent their ads from being blocked by Adblock plus. In addition, the Newyork Times is considering banning users that employ the ad blocking extension.
Now, Eyeo has revealed that it will allow acceptable ads in return for an agreed percentage accrued from the permitted ads. So, why the hullabaloo about Adblocker
Free Access to content
Adblocker blocks online advertising. However, visitors to websites like Facebook, Twitter, Newyork times and others simply use or read the content and leave. That is free content. These companies do not get anything in return from these visitors. At the same time, they are using Adblocker. It is not a win-win situation. For example, if you visit the Forbes website, and you are using Adblocker, you will be asked to disable the Adblocker before you are allowed to navigate the website. Now, businesses are looking for ways to bypass Adblock Plus.
No opportunity to make money
Online advertising is the surest avenue for many companies to make money online. Billions of dollars are accrued yearly from advertising. In 2012, internet ad revenue hit 37 billion dollars. So, the more users use ad blockers, the more they lose revenue.
Decline in turnover
The economic downturn and the economic outlook has led to major cutbacks and downsizing. It is, therefore, an unwelcome idea for Adblocker to continue blocking ads. The pressure from companies that rely heavily on adverts has probably paid off as Eyeo announced that it will allow acceptable adverts in return for commission.
Scavenge for alternative source of revenue
For years, online advertising has been the backbone of businesses. But today, the combo of economic crises and ad blocker have prompted many companies to start searching for alternative sources of income. This will take some time with the right strategies and techniques. But, they would prefer to rely on online advertising. So, they are miffed with Adblocker.
