Evaluating Your Ads Network: Shady Website Monetization Practices to Look Out For
Katrina L
22 September 2021
Billions of people use the internet every single day to find new information, read about recent events, and entertain themselves. Website owners and other online content publishers are always looking for the best ways to attract and monetize these visitors.
Ad networks are a great monetization option because they help connect content publishers with media buyers and other stakeholders that want to purchase their traffic. But, not all networks are the same, so you need to partner with a reliable provider in order to get the most out of the visitors on your platform.
At Vimmy, we’ve earned a reputation as one of the leading global ad networks, but many of our partners spent years working with unreliable partners. We know that the quality of the network you choose will directly impact your monetization efforts. Unfortunately, we’re also aware that many networks use shady practices that stop their publishers from getting the most bang for their buck.
At Vimmy, we work closely with leading publishers in a collection of different industries, so we know what the top stakeholders expect when looking for the most robust network. In this article, we’ll go over some of the general features publishers should look for in an ads network and discuss three shady monetization practices we’ve identified in the industry.
01
Are Unethical Practices a Big Problem in Affiliate Marketing?
It’s estimated that close to 80% of all companies around the world leverage some form of affiliate marketing. However, it’s important to understand that not all networks and providers follow ethical practices. This means that publishers need to take the time and analyze the platforms they partner with before making a long-term commitment.
One of the main differences between reliable networks and shady platforms is that the former usually allows its partners to monetize their traffic as much as possible. For instance, at Vimmy we work on a revenue share model and payout 85% commission to our partners, by far the best rate amongst leading networks. If you want to learn more about working with our network, contact us today and we’ll be glad to help.
Moreover, some of the features you should look out for in a network include:
-
Experience
It’s common to see ad networks rise and fall relatively quickly, with some of them failing to hit the three-year mark. Instead of partnering with a new network, you should only opt for established providers that give you the highest chances of success. You can evaluate potential partners by finding out how long they have been in the business and what their current partners say in their reviews.
-
Reputation
We touched on this briefly in the last point, but you need to ensure that you’re working with a network that has a good reputation. Review sites are always a good starting point, but you should also read long-form blogs about the network, speak to the internal team, and ask specific questions about the monetization scheme.
-
Transparency
Over the last few years, the internet has become a more transparent ecosystem where businesses, publishers, and networks benefit from consumers’ trust. But, publishers also have to keep a close eye on how transparent their network is to ensure that they are getting the most bang for their buck. If you ask questions to your network’s team and don’t get clear answers, it may be worth evaluating another provider.
-
Security
Although they pose threats for different reasons, adblock technology and potential security threats can jeopardize your traffic monetization efforts. Therefore, you should work with a network that creates a safe environment and protects your traffic from security threats and anti-adblock technology, which in turn impacts your bottom line.
02
3 Shady Website Monetization Practices to Look Out For
Websites owners need to monitor a huge number of metrics to ensure that they are getting the most bang for their buck. Some of these publishers like to measure the success of their platforms based on revenue. But, you should also take the time to assess your performance stats to ensure that you are not partnering with an unreliable provider.
What’s more, it’s important to understand that unethical networks can use different techniques to extract money from their partners. Below, we’ll go over the three most common shady website monetization practices that unreliable networks use:
-
1. ROI Manipulation
One of the most common practices we identified in unreliable networks was ROI manipulation. As the name suggests, this is the practice of deliberately marking down ROI for GEOs that are in high demand, like the US, UK, or Japan. The degree of manipulation can vary based on the industry, but this can result in thousands of dollars lost every month.
-
2. Shaving Impressions
Another common way that dishonest networks take advantage of publishers is by sharing impressions. When shaving impressions, networks don’t show all of the interactions that were generated, which results in a smaller volume, and therefore, a much lower payout. We’ve seen unable providers dupe publishers out of 15%+ of the revenue, which has a huge long-term impact on their success.
-
3. Overlooking Frequency Caps and Other Filters
Most, if not all ad networks give you the ability to place filters like frequency capping and demographic targeting settings. Unreliable networks are known for overlooking these filters, triggering irrelevant ads, and ultimately costing publishers a significant chunk of revenue in the long run.
03
Want to Find the Best Monetization Partner? Vimmy Is Here to Help
There are dozens of different networks to choose from, so you need to evaluate all potential alternatives before making a final choice. Remember, the ad network you select will set the stage for the success of your publishing platform, so make sure that you pick a partner based on your unique requirements.
At Vimmy, we take pride in creating an ultra-safe environment for all of our partners while also offering publishers the most profitable revshare payouts in the industry.
To learn more about partnering with Vimmy, get in touch with our team today and we’ll be glad to help.
You’re only a few minutes away from thousands of unique publishers and direct advertisers.
Servando Silva
04 April 2021
Working with Vimmy has been a pleasure so far.
Thank you
for registration !
An email has been sent to you. Please confirm registration using the link in the letter.
Password reset.
A confirmation link has been sent to your email account.
Please click on the link that has just been sent to your email account to verify your email and complete password reset process.
At Vimmy, we take pride in creating an ultra-safe environment for all of our partners while also offering publishers the most profitable revshare payouts in the industry.
