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Web
sites risk viewers’ wrath with pop-up ads ORLANDO, Fla.
- As he plans his work day, Mike Horner goes online and visits Mapquest.com,
where he calls up and prints maps of unfamiliar areas in Central
Florida. “Pop-up ads are an intrusion, but they’re also the price we pay for a free Internet,” says Horner, president of the Kissimmee-Osceola Chamber of Commerce. “Having
a map is a convenience that keeps me from getting lost. If I can
get that map for free, instead of maybe having to pay $1 per map
if there were no ads, then I'm willing to put up with the pop-ups
and other ads.” Most of us are far less understanding and less patient when confronted with the annoying little advertisements that sprout unbidden from Web sites. Unlike banner ads, which are part of a Web page, pop-ups appear in front of the browser window, forcing the user to look at the ad before he or she can close it. Others, called pop-unders, disappear behind the browser window but must be reckoned with eventually when windows are closed at the end of an Internet session. The ads hype everything from spy cameras and movies to credit cards, stocks and poker and online casino action. But it's actually the Web sites, which generate income from pop-ups, that are the real gamblers. They’re betting that the exasperating pop-ups won’t drive traffic away from their sites. A Web surfer who regularly visits a given site only to encounter one or more pop-ups may eventually decide to delete the site from his or her favorites list, analysts say. One researcher likens pop-ups to the subscription cards and other forms that lurk between the pages of magazines. “Pop-ups are something you don’t ask for, and consumer reaction is very negative,” says David Tice of Statistical Research Inc., which tracks Web usage. “I don’t see pop-ups as undercutting use of the Web, but they may drive people away from trusting what they’re seeing. They help to bring the overall level of trust down. In that sense, they’re poisoning the well for everybody.” Ask a Web user about pop-ups and the reaction probably will be one of annoyance, says Denise Garcia, research director, media, for GartnerG2, a tech research firm. However, 63 percent of users surveyed by her firm say they know a site has to sell ads in order to survive. “As ads get more annoying and users grow more vocal, it might pave the way for a two-tiered model,” she says. “You would have sites with free content and ads. You would also see sites without any ads but with an access fee.” The pop-up/pop-under ad craze began last year with X10 camera ads. X10’s Web site explains the technology this way: “When you visit a site that X10.com is advertising on, a new window is launched with our ad and it sends itself underneath what you are looking at. This allows you to navigate the site you’re looking at without being interrupted. When you’re done with the site and close the browser, you will then notice our advertisement. At this point, you can click on the ad to learn more about the product and special offer or close the window by clicking on the "X" in the top right corner.” ZDNet, a popular source of technology news and reviews, doesn’t employ pop-up ads but is open to new sources of income, says editorial director David Berlind. “From my perspective, the only window that should open on my computer is one I choose to open,” he says. “I’m not too crazy about ads that automatically open on my screen. “Having said that, we’re a Web site that depends on advertising, and we’re always seeking ways to make it more effective. I’d be hesitant to say we’d never do it, because we’re all trying to create traction for our advertisers.” For all its benefits - the Web is a resource for e-commerce, shopping, staying in touch and doing research - it has yet to attract widespread advertising. In fact, it accounts for only about 3 percent of the overall ad market in North America, says Charlie Buchwalter, vice president of media research for Jupiter Media Metrix. Web sites generate money by selling ad space using a formula tied to the number of users who regularly visit the site. For example, an advertiser might pay $20 per 1,000 visitors to a site. The concept is similar to newspaper ads linked to circulation or outdoor billboards that charge on the basis of the number of cars passing by daily. Online advertising — banner ads, pop-ups and others — accounted for just $5.7 billion in spending last year, compared to $250 billion for all ads. Online ads are projected to triple to $15.4 billion by 2006, but that’s still a small slice of the overall ad pie. There’s no breakout available on revenue from pop-ups compared to banner ads and others. But pop-up ads aren’t likely to disappear, because they work, says Buchwalter. Although far less than 1 percent of users typically click on a pop-up, that doesn’t mean the ads aren’t effective, says Buchwalter. The goal is to increase brand awareness, an objective that can be met if a user sees an ad, even if the user doesn’t click on it. The X10 ad campaign is a prime example of making Web surfers cognizant of the brand. “There has been skepticism about the effectiveness of pop-ups, but those perceptions are not grounded in reality,” Buchwalter said. “If the purpose is to increase awareness of a brand or product, pop-ups have done so. What advertisers are seeking (is) attention.” And there’s little doubt that, regardless of disgruntled users, paying pop-ups will remain a fact of life on the Internet. “As a user consuming content for free, you aren’t more than small noise in the background compared to advertisers paying for pop-ups,” says Garcia. |
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