Ad clutter reduces ad effectiveness

Over half of Internet users surveyed by Burst Media had a low tolerance for web pages featuring more than two ads, and that 'ad clutter' is causing consumers to abandon sites altogether.

by Helen Leggatt

While most Internet users accept they will be exposed to advertising when browsing the Web, many have a low tolerance for it, especially when a web page is overloaded with ads. Over half (52.6%) of the 4,000 Internet users surveyed by Burst Media had a low tolerance for web pages featuring more than a couple of ads and a third immediately left a site if they feel it is too cluttered.

"One of the main obstacles to getting consumers' attention online is ad clutter," said Chuck Moran, VP of Marketing for Burst Media. "It is critical for advertisers to ensure their messages are being placed in a high quality content environment to receive the maximum exposure they deserve, and to preserve their brand's reputation."

The survey also revealed that ad clutter decreases the effectiveness of ads - the more ads, the less attention is paid to them. Three-quarters of respondents that stayed on sites they perceived to be cluttered said they paid less attention to the ads they were exposed to.