Ads Networks for Publishers: What Features Should You Look For?

The affiliate ecosystem consists of a wide variety of stakeholders that work harmoniously to deliver the best experience for advertisers and consumers. Publishers play a crucial role because they develop the content that ultimately attracts web users, but selling this traffic directly isn’t always feasible.

Ad networks work as a middleman between publishers who sell traffic and media buyers as well as other entities that want to purchase these visitors. However, not all ads networks are created equally, so the quality of your partner will directly affect revenue and other parts of your monetization process.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important features that publishers should consider when looking for their next ad network.

Why Do Publishers Need to Find the Right Partners?

Publishers do a lot of the heavy lifting in the affiliate ecosystem because they develop, monitor, and maintain platforms that consumers visit on a regular basis. But, selling this traffic at a fair price without any help can be challenging, especially if you consider the number of great publishing platforms available today.

Ad networks help simplify the process and allow publishers to focus on the most important thing, which is generating engaging content. Not only this, by partnering with the right network, publishers can ensure that their content is profitable and that only quality ads from reputable advertisers appear on their platforms.

What Features Should Publishers Look For in an Ad Network?

Today, app developers, website owners, and other publishers can choose from dozens if not hundreds of ads networks. Making the best choice isn’t always straightforward, especially if you’re not used to working with third-parties to monetize your traffic.

Let’s take a look at some of the features you need to look for when looking for an ad network for your publishing platform.

Network Size

The size of the network’s existing inventory will give you a good idea of how much traffic you can expect to send their way. Larger inventories are usually a synonym with well-established networks and a large pool of advertisers interested in these spots.

Number and Quality of Advertisers

Most networks showcase the number of advertisers it has because it directly reflects the quality of their inventory. Top-notch platforms have more advertisers and these networks tend to work with world-class companies that pay the highest prices for the best type of traffic.

Reputation

As with most tools for publishers, you should thoroughly research an ads network before joining its ranks. Make sure that the platform has a good reputation with advertisers as well as publishers and read reviews from other publishers to get an idea of what to expect from your potential network. 

Quality of the Ads 

Although it’s tricky, you should try to assess the quality of the ads that will potentially be served on your platform. To do this, your best bet is to evaluate some of the advertisers that you may be working with and determine the likelihood of having poor-quality ads appear on your site.

Ad Formats and Placement Options

The formats available on your site will directly impact the relationship with your network of choice. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, work with a network that offers up-to-date ad formats that are compatible with your site. Plus, make sure that the network you partner with regularly adjusts to match the most profitable trends.

Payment Rates, Frequency, and Other Specifics

Needless to say, the payment currency, frequency, and methods will help you determine if a network is right for you. So, evaluate these individually to ensure that your partner of choice had an acceptable payment scheme.

Management and Support Features

Just because you’re selling ad spots doesn’t mean you should lose all control over the content that appears on your site. A reliable network will provide a relatively robust filtering system that you can use to somewhat control the ads that appear on your pages.

Security and Fraud Prevention Protocols

Low-quality traffic and fraudulent activities are detrimental to the entire ecosystem, so you should find a network that has invested in robust security and fraud prevention schemes. Besides ensuring a positive customer experience, you’d also be contributing to the development of a safer internet.

Contact ActiveRevenue and Learn More About Monetizing Your Publishing Platform

Generating profits from your publishing platform may take some time, but partnering with the right network can help ensure a fair monetization scheme that’s safe and easy to manage. We hope the tips above help you find the best networks to partner with and make the most from the traffic on your site or app.

To find out more about monetizing your traffic, contact ActiveRevenue and our team will be glad to help.