Ad Revenue: Is It Still Worth Relying On Site Ad Revenue?

Is Ad Revenue Still a Solid Source of Income?

We’ve all been on those websites that obnoxiously fill our screen with some advertisement of a product that we couldn’t be less interested in. After spending any amount of time browsing the Internet, it doesn’t take long to understand why programs like AdBlock exist, and how they make our Internet usage so much more palatable. 

At the same time, there are a lot of honest websites out there that have no other way of funding themselves, and the call for ad revenue seems like the easiest, most efficient way of staying afloat. 

Ad revenue has been a part of the Internet since the Internet first begun, and first saw real returns from sites like YouTube and Facebook, both who made billions thanks to the ads that they push. 

But both those sites are over 10 years old, and the nature of the Internet is changing, as is the mobile landscape. More and more people are choosing to block ads, which begs the question: does ad revenue still work?

Making Use of Ad Revenue

The simple answer is yes, but it’s much more complicated than that. What most people don’t understand is that ad revenue isn’t a simple system, and it takes both time and financial investment before a website can begin to see any substantial returns. Sometimes it can take years, and sometimes never, depending on the traffic, the popularity of the website, and whether people are willing to lift their ad block on your site and allow you to display your ads. 

There is no shortage of website ideas, and every day people purchase server space or sign up for a free site-builder, and begin their dreams of making the next big site that will make them rich. The first question to ask is: what kind of business are you looking to build? 

Is it a site that simply provides income passively and may burn out quickly, or are you looking to create something more long-term that will see you earning for years to come, such as a social media site or a pokies online casino?

Once you’ve decided on that, the next part is understanding how the revenue is actually generated, which is done in one of two ways:

1. Through a huge amount of traffic daily, with the sheer amount of visitors you’re likely to come across even a few who provide the revenue.

2. A small, targeted audience, but one that is passionate about what you do to support you.

Generating the Revenue

If you’re aiming for the larger audience, then you will be relying on the traffic to generate the revenue. This means putting up as many ads as possible with the hopes that at least a certain percentage of the people will click on those ads. 

Conversely, having a smaller audience that you interact with on a more personal level often means being able to both display ads and run a crowdfunding platform to supplement your income.