New Data on the Types of Ads Internet Users Hate the Most
As a full-stack developer and digital marketer, I know all too well the challenge of trying to monetize websites without ruining the user experience. Display ads can be an important revenue source, but they often come at the cost of frustrating and alienating your audience.
Finding the right balance between ad revenue and UX requires a deep understanding of which ad formats and behaviors users find the most annoying. Luckily, a recent research study by Nielsen Norman Group offers some valuable insights that every developer and marketer should know.
Quantifying Users‘ Hatred for Bad Ad UX
In the study, Nielsen surveyed 452 adults in the United States who were not employed in the tech or advertising industries. Participants were asked to rate their level of annoyance with various ad formats on a scale of 1 (not at all annoying) to 7 (extremely annoying).
The results paint a clear picture of the ad experiences that frustrate users the most. Here are the average "annoyance scores" for the most hated desktop ad types:
| Ad Format | Annoyance Score |
|---|---|
| Modal ads/overlays | 6.13 |
| Autoplaying video with sound | 6.11 |
| Ads in the middle of content | 5.87 |
| Deceptive links | 5.63 |
| Large sticky ads | 5.46 |
| Animated ads | 5.25 |
| Ads that open new windows/tabs | 5.25 |
As you can see, modal overlay ads (aka pop-ups) topped the list with an average annoyance score of 6.13 out of 7. Autoplaying video ads with sound were a close second at 6.11.
In general, the most disliked ad types were those that interrupt or obscure the content, make noise, or trick users into clicking. Ads that blend more seamlessly into the content, like simple text links or small sidebar banners, tended to be seen as less annoying.
Mobile Ads Are Even More Annoying
The Nielsen study also looked specifically at attitudes toward mobile ads, which tend to be even more aggravating due to the limited screen space. Once again, modal ads claimed the top spot for most annoying mobile format, with an average score of 6.37.
Deceptive links that don‘t clearly lead to an ad landed in second place on mobile with a 6.27 annoyance score. Autoplaying video ads came in third place at 6.24.
The lesson is clear: ANY type of interruptive ad is going to be seen as a major nuisance by mobile users, who don‘t have the same ability to easily ignore, close, or scroll past pop-ups and overlays. Blocking or obscuring content on mobile is an especially risky move.
Why People Hate Bad Ads
From a user‘s perspective, the web is a means to an end. People visit websites and apps to complete specific tasks or goals, whether that‘s reading an article, watching a video, making a purchase, or finding information.
Any ad that gets in the way of the user completing their core task is going to provoke a negative reaction. The more obnoxious and obstructive the ad, the more the user‘s blood will boil.
In the Nielsen study, respondents were also asked an open-ended question about what annoys them most about online ads in general. The most common themes in their answers further illustrate the behaviors that drive users crazy:
- Ads that cover or obstruct content, especially with no clear "X" button
- Ads that interrupt the user‘s flow with popups, overlays, or new tabs
- Ads that slow down load times or make content jump around as the page renders
- Autoplaying video or audio that blares unexpectedly, often when multiple tabs are open
- Ads that feel spammy, deceptive, or irrelevant to the user‘s interests
- Ads that contain excessive animation, strobing, or other distracting movement
- Ads that are overly pushy in their attempts to grab the user‘s attention and engagement
As a developer, it‘s easy to get caught up in the technical details of ad tags, placements, and payloads. But it‘s crucial to put yourself in the user‘s shoes and think about the subjective experience of trying to navigate a site littered with annoying ads. Empathy for the user should be the north star of any monetization strategy.
The Business Case Against Annoying Ads
It‘s not just about creating warm fuzzy feelings. Subjecting your audience to an abrasive ad experience can have real consequences for your website and your bottom line.
A study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that annoying ad experiences significantly decrease a user‘s favorability toward the website and the advertised brand. Specifically, users who were exposed to annoying video ad formats reported 36% less favorability toward the host site and 19% less intent to recommend that site, compared to a control group who saw no ads at all.
Bombarding users with pop-ups and intermittent ads can also directly hurt your site‘s engagement metrics and revenue potential:
- Increased bounce rates as users quickly navigate away from pages with intrusive ads
- Fewer repeat visits from users who associate your site with a poor experience
- Lower overall time on site and pages per visit due to ad-related interruptions
- Decreased ad viewability rates as users become "banner blind" and actively tune out ads
- More widespread adoption of ad blocking software that cuts off monetization channels
Speaking of ad blockers, the 2021 PageFair Adblock Report found that 42.7% of internet users worldwide now use an ad blocker on at least one of their devices. The most common reasons cited for installing ad blockers were:
- Avoiding annoying or irrelevant ads (81% of respondents)
- Improving page load times and speed (57%)
- Protecting privacy and personal data (48%)
In other words, bad ad experiences don‘t just make individual users hate you. They actively train a significant portion of your potential audience to permanently tune out your monetization efforts. That‘s a losing long-term strategy no matter how you slice it.
UX Best Practices for Serving Ads
Now that we‘ve established what NOT to do when it comes to online ads, let‘s talk about some best practices that every developer and marketer should follow for a better user experience:
1. Stick to Standard, Non-Invasive Ad Placements
Simple text links, leaderboard banners (728×90), medium rectangles (300×250) and skyscrapers (160×600) are consistently rated as the least annoying ad types. Whenever possible, use these standard units and avoid anything that pops up, expands, or otherwise hijacks the page.
2. Clearly Label Your Ads as Ads
Don‘t try to disguise your ads as organic content or navigation links. Users should be able to tell at a glance what‘s an ad versus what‘s part of your site. Use visual cues like borders, background shading, and "Sponsored" labels to distinguish paid placements.
3. Maintain a Healthy Ad-to-Content Ratio
Just because an ad unit is relatively unobtrusive doesn‘t mean you should plaster it all over every inch of your site. Be judicious and intentional about your ad placements, ensuring there‘s plenty of breathing room between ads. A good rule of thumb is to aim for an ad density of no more than 30%.
4. Optimize Your Ads for Performance
Slow-loading ads are a major culprit behind poor site performance and UX. Optimize your ad creative for fast rendering, and use asynchronous loading techniques to prevent ads from delaying the rest of the page. Regularly audit your ad tech stack to identify and eliminate bloated scripts, trackers, and third-party tags.
5. Invest in Contextual Targeting
The more relevant your ads are to the user‘s interests and intent, the less likely they are to be perceived as annoying. Use contextual signals like page content, user location, and browsing history to show ads that match the topic and tone of your site. Don‘t be afraid to sacrifice some impressions in the name of better targeting.
6. Set Frequency Caps on Retargeting
Retargeted ads that follow users around the web can quickly go from effective to aggravating. Set strict frequency caps on your retargeting campaigns to avoid bombarding users with the same ad over and over. Consider using sequential messaging and burn pixels to create a more varied and less repetitive ad experience.
7. Experiment with Non-Interruptive Formats
There‘s a growing trend toward monetization solutions that don‘t rely on traditional display ads at all. Native advertising, sponsored content, affiliate links, and paid subscriptions are just a few examples of business models that can deliver a better UX while still generating revenue. Don‘t be afraid to think outside the banner box.
The Promise and Peril of Native Advertising
One of the most exciting developments in the quest for a better ad experience is the rise of native advertising. Unlike display ads, which stick out like a sore thumb, native ads are designed to blend in with the surrounding content and provide a more seamless user experience.
Examples of native ad formats include:
- Sponsored article content
- Recommended product widgets
- In-feed social media ads
- Branded videos
- Podcast mentions
When done well, native ads can be a win-win-win for the publisher, the advertiser, and the user. A study by IPG Media Lab found that native ads are viewed for the same amount of time as editorial content and generate significantly higher lift in brand affinity and purchase intent compared to traditional display ads.
However, native advertising is not without its pitfalls and detractors. When publishers aren‘t transparent about what‘s sponsored versus what‘s editorial, they risk eroding user trust and damaging the credibility of their content.
The key is to maintain clear labeling and visual cues to distinguish native ads, while still optimizing the content and creative for seamless integration. It‘s a delicate balancing act, but one that more and more publishers are embracing as an alternative to the much-maligned banner ad.
Looking Ahead
As users become increasingly intolerant of annoying ad experiences, it‘s clear that the industry needs to evolve beyond the traditional models of interruption and distraction. The data from the Nielsen Norman Group study should serve as a wake-up call for any developer or marketer who‘s still clinging to pop-ups, auto-playing videos, and other formats that users despise.
But it‘s not enough to simply avoid the most egregious ad offenders. To truly create a sustainable monetization strategy, we need to embrace a fundamentally different mindset – one that prioritizes user experience and long-term engagement over short-term impressions and clicks.
That means being more thoughtful and strategic about ad placements, investing in better targeting and relevance, and exploring alternative formats like native and sponsored content. Most importantly, it means always putting ourselves in the user‘s shoes and ruthlessly eliminating anything that feels intrusive or annoying.
The future of digital advertising belongs to the developers and marketers who can strike the right balance between monetization and UX. It won‘t be an easy path, but it‘s the only way to build lasting relationships with our audiences and keep the ad-supported web viable for the long haul.
As a full-stack developer, I‘m excited to be part of the solution and help pave the way for a better ad experience. It‘s time to put the user first and finally give annoying ads the boot.