The Lowdown on Banner Ad Slowdown

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by Aaron West

What slows down the Web? Large graphics, overwhelming server calls, Internet traffic -- these are all factors. But perhaps the most frustrating culprit is the slow-loading banner ad. Unfortunately, since content sites make their living through banners, they can't just be removed.

But we can't just lump all banner ads together. Some banners get loaded quicker than Charlie Sheen on a Thursday night, while others require as much patience as Hot Shots! Part Deux. Why is it that some banners load slower than others? While publishers can set some things, like banner specifications, the advertiser has most of the control on the size, quality, and optimization of the creative. Obviously if the advertiser is running a 20Mb creative, it's just not going to appear instantaneously. On the other hand, if you're on your fifth game of FreeCell waiting for an 8K banner to load, the problem probably isn't on the advertiser's side.

It has become standard practice on the Internet to serve banners from various locations. For example, many advertisers prefer to run campaigns from their own ad servers, so they can control tracking and campaign management. When they send the ad to an agency or broker, another server then tracks the ad. When the ad finally reaches the Web site, it is served yet again, so that the site can track the ad, and thus bill the client. In this scenario, the ad must be tracked by 3 parties before it even reaches the end user.

What happens if one of these servers becomes overloaded, or (gasp) goes down? Not only is the ad slowed or even not displayed, but there is also a possibility that the Web page will not load until the ad server finally times out, which is usually longer than most Web users are willing to wait.

This is especially the case with ad networks and brokers. It is common practice for many of them to buy and sell inventory to each other, which ends up leaving the possibility that an ad could be served by an unlimited number of Web servers. This heavily increases the likelihood of trouble, and almost guarantees a delay in the ad display.

One solution is to make sure you have adequate campaign management software. If you are using Dart or Engage technology, there is a better chance that the advertiser will trust your tracking results. Some lower end solutions, such as CGI scripts, can suffice, provided they have all the information advertisers need. Central Ad and Web Adverts are both excellent choices if you must go this way.

As I mentioned before, ad networks can cause problems. I have experimented with many of the major networks, and a few of the smaller ones. I have never found one that wasn't entirely without problems. Some are worse than others, but all will cause some delays. Of course, many of them are a must if there is a lot of unsold inventory available. My advice is to be selective, and never stop testing.

The main point is that you have to be aware of how the ads on your site are being served. Whether you use your own software or a network, find the solution that works best for you. When I was looking to unload my unsold inventory, I signed up for several ad networks and tested them all over a short period of time. I finally chose the one that delivered the highest quality banners the fastest. That way I could minimize load time, while still making money. And that is the goal, isn't it?