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Ads are becoming more and more invasive on the internet. Platforms all seem to follow the same path: at the beginning, the ads are few and discreet, then to earn more and more money, platforms increase the number, frequency, and intensity of ads.

The most obvious case is Youtube, which now has up to 6 ads per video, but Netflix has also mentioned this idea recently.

Consumers have been outraged by this idea. If ads on Youtube are tolerable because the platform is free, it is much less so for Netflix which is a paid service. It’s not to be forgotten that the Internet is the land of the free. If a service becomes too obnoxious, people always have to possibility to leave and find what they want elsewhere or download it illegally.

Youtube hasn’t been deserted because people use adblockers, and some people predict that piracy will bloom again because of the multiplication of paid streaming platforms.

We are now at a breaking point in the functioning of the internet that will perhaps lead to a new golden age.

Internet advertising is a paradox for companies.

On the one hand, studies show that they have a significant impact on consumption. Whether we like it or not, being exposed to an ad influences our choices later on because we associate a product with a brand.

On the other hand, Internet users are exasperated by ads and end up having a negative opinion of brands. Nord VPN’s e-reputation has gone from an interesting product to a market leader, to a meme on sponsorships, to the heavy part of a video.

While everyone would prefer to be ad-free and still use free services, this is impossible today. However, internet ads can be seen as digital products that can be improved from a UX design point of view.

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How to improve the UX of ads

If we consider ads as digital products, we can define guidelines based on who are the users and what are the contexts in which they will interact with the ad.

Users can potentially be anyone.

However, there is a generational gap between each platforms. Without data to confirm it, we can suppose that :

• Youtube is mostly used by millennials who grew up with it
• Younger people mostly use Tiktok and snapchat
• Older people are the main user of Facebook

Those three platforms and all the other, notably Twitch, have different rhythm. Youtube content is generally around 15 minutes long while Tiktok videos are less than 2 minutes long.

They way to watch stuff is also different. Tikitok promote binge watching short stuff, but a video shown on Facebook is generally a single video between written articles.

Companies that pay millions to spread their ads on the Internet must have precise control of where it will be shown to maximise the impact it will have on viewers. That’s were marketing and UX department shift their view on the question of quality over quantity.

As each platform is different, X criteria should be studied :

• Revelance
• Fluidity
• Frequency

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Revelance

The relevance is the link between what viewers are watching and the ad that will perturbate their flow between, during of after the videos.

An ad for a video game before a let’s play video has a great relevance. An ad for a phone service during a make-up video has a poor revelance.

This point could be treated by the platforms themselves, but companies have to target were they want their ads to appear. If it’s relevant, it won’t be as frustrating as it is generally today. If it’s not relevant, it will just disturb the flow of the platform user.

Fluidity

The fluidity is linked to relevance. Designers work very hard to try to incorporate new products and application in the daily life of users. It’s important to have a fluid insertion, one shouldn’t have to stop what he usually do to use a new product.

The same should be apply to ads. Each platform is different and the way to consume stuff on it is different. The ads must adapt to incorporate themselves naturally in the user’s flow.

The fluidity will depends firstly on the relevance, if its out of topic for what the user want to watch it will be perceived as a nuisance. Secondly on the format, 45 seconds ads will either be passed or mute. On Youtube, the minimum length of an ad is 5 seconds, ads designers must find a way to promote their product during these 5 seconds. On tiktok, the ads can be longer if they correctly use the codes of the platform to look like legit content.

If an ad insert itself naturally in the user’s flow, it become better perceived.

Frequency

The main problem of ads on the internet is the frequency of exposure. People spend a lot of time of multiple platforms, and just like for applications, it must be understood that people will interact with ads all the time.

What it means is that users can see the same ads ten time a day, which will annoyed them deeply, particularly if the relevance and fluidity aren’t that good.

The logic of announcers is that the more exposed people there is, the more probability there is to have them bought a product. It’s a logic inherited of TV. companies had to display their ads on multiple channels to be sure to touch their audience. But on the Internet people aren’t limited to one channel, the show are shorter than on TV and it is use all day and night, not just during the evening like TV.

What it mean for companies is that they should change their ads as quickly as possible. Seeing the same scenario played in an ad and hearing the same slogans over and over is a pain. If the ads change, even if it’s for the same product, it won’t be as annoying as it become new content.

The ads must be renewed very quickly to suit the rhythm of the internet and not bore or irritate Internet users who are constantly looking for novelty

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The advertising world has a lot to learn from the knowledge and studies in UX design. Ads are a powerful asset to companies, it has allowed them to not try to seriously adapt to the new media that is the Internet, most companies are content to broadcast their commercials as they did on television.

If the user experience is better taken into account, not only will the overall experience of the platforms be improved, but also the quality of the leads will be improved.