Today, I’m sharing why I tried running ads on my site and why I ultimately removed them. While ads can help website owners diversify income, they aren’t the best fit for every site. I’ll cover the challenges I faced, like intrusive ads disrupting user experience, and how I decided they didn’t align with my business model. If you’re considering ads, this post offers some helpful insights.
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If you’ve been part of my blog community or a regular visitor to my site, you might have noticed a significant shift that took place both in August this past year and again, very recently at the end of November where I made the bold decision to add and then to eliminate all ads from my site. Whether you’re a returning visitor or new to this space, I hope you’re enjoying the now uninterrupted browsing experience I’ve worked hard to create.
But before I dive into the details, let me clarify something: running online advertisements isn’t inherently bad. For some website owners, especially bloggers, it can be a good way to generate what some people consider passive income. However, it’s not the best way for everyone. Ads come in many forms—video ads, pop-up windows, side bar ads, or even banner ads at the top of the screen—and they aren’t always a good fit, especially for service-based businesses like mine. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s likely not ideal for most websites and clients we work with. It’s important to take the time to carefully consider whether ads align with your site’s purpose and your business goals. This is the single factor that led me to remove them after a relatively short period.
And if you want to read more about qualifying yourself, the application process, how I did it and what the benefits are you can read this post, which explains exactly what it means to work with an agency, minimum traffic requirements and my weekly updates on the whole process.
Why I Tried Ads On My Site
When my website gained traction and reached the threshold to join an ad network like MediaVine, I decided to give it a try. For so long I heard people say that getting your site to a place where an ad network pays you to run ads is a huge milestone, so I was thrilled to have made it to that point. With my growing blog traffic, running ads, including video ads and relevant ads tailored to browsing data, seemed logical to diversify my revenue streams. I was curious to see how they would do on the blog posts, which were driving a lot of organic traffic to the site.
I experimented with a mid-range density of ads: third-party ads in the side bar, embedded video ads, and even some pop-up windows at the bottom of my footer. These types of ads are often what you would see on websites or specific apps offering free services. Nothing new here.
Why I Chose to Remove Ads
Over the three months that followed, my revenue from these ads—around $100 CAD—was modest but not worth the trade-offs. As I watched the revenue do it’s thing, I knew that it wasn’t enough (at least not at the time) to make running ads worth it for me or my visitors to have to navigate. That paired with the fact that it felt like it was distracting visitors from my content made the decision fairly easy for me. Like anyone else who is sensitive to information and is overly stimulated quickly, I hated the poor user experience ads created on any site. I thought to myself, whenever I personally visit a blog or site that has ads, I often always switch to reader view to hide them. So then, was it fair that I was creating the same experience for others?
I promised myself a year ago when I started The Good Canvas that this would be a place that would test and define what we’re expected to do and would never conform to anything just because everyone else was. I don’t think placing ads on your site is a bad thing. It’s just not for everyone and for every site type. I think for bloggers, ads are a fundamental aspect of their business model. It makes sense there and for the most part, people are used to seeing ads in that space. But for service based websites with an active blog? That is a bit of a grey area. While ads on the blog posts were something I would consider keeping, I didn’t want them on my home page or service pages. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have the option to control that.
There there was traffic. Though I never really will be sure, when ads started running on my site, I noticed a dip in traffic. While this might have been due to Google’s Helpful Content Update or browser cookies affecting search results, I couldn’t help but wonder if the ads were driving visitors away, particularly unwanted ads from third-party apps, which were maybe raising concerns about personal data and privacy. I don’t know. Unlikely, but once I get something in my head, it’s hard to shake.
Should You Consider Partnering With an Agency and Running Ads on Your Site?
How do you determine if ads are the right move for your biz? It really comes down to a few key factors:
1. Your Audience
Who visits your site, and what are they looking for? If your primary focus is selling products like artwork or goods, ads may not add much value. Similarly, if most of your traffic comes from direct visitors rather than search or referral sources, your audience size might not yet justify running ads. As a general rule, having a steady monthly traffic of at least 5,000 visitors is a good starting point before considering on-site ads but it will greatly vary depending on the type of traffic you generate.
No everyone thinks ads are annoying. While they are an integral part of content creators being able to provide “free” content, there are certainly certain audiences that are more understanding then others.
In my case, my website’s bread and butter is the service that I provide and the way in which I provide it. User experience, tranquility and a stress-free online experience are big components of that and ads just didn’t align with that message.
2. Your Content
The type of content you offer is also important. If you’re expanding into creating helpful, resource-driven content—like guides, tutorials, or educational materials—ads could be a smart addition. Sites offering this kind of value often draw steady traffic, making them a great candidate for monetization
3. Your Long-Term Strategy
Think about how working with an ad agency aligns with your broader marketing and business goals, not just short-term revenue. For instance, Mediavine publishers receive 70% of ad revenue, but this percentage can vary by agency. Does adding ads complement your overall business plan? Is there potential for growth or diversification? And most importantly, does it enhance your work or detract from it? Carefully consider whether ads will fit seamlessly into your strategy and support your brand’s vision.
All In All – Are Ads Worth It?
Honestly, yes. But only If it aligns with your business model. Running ads can be a great way to monetize your website and I know many people that replace an entire salary with just ads, but they’re not the right solution for everyone. If you value user experience and control over your site’s messaging, think carefully before adding ads because you do lose a bit of control there. For me, removing them was the best decision in order to maintain the feel and site experience that reflects the heart of The Good Canvas. If that changes, as things often do, I now know how it works, some of the impacts on your site and the factors to consider when making the decision.
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ABOUT THIS POST
This post is written by Donata Delano – A Web Designer, Professional Artist and Architect based in Burlington, Canada. She specializing in visual communication and web design, creating branding solutions and websites that are thoughtful, unique and aesthetically pleasing.
