Have you taken a long hard look at your customers’ ad experience? It may seem wonky, but the ad experience you curate for your customers has a direct impact on your overall sales. Whether you’re a retailer partnering with an agency or an agency trying to curate what a customer sees — the ad experience is critical.

In short, a customer’s ad experience refers to the size and shape of an ad’s format. What is the look and feel of the ad? This should include ad density, loading speed, text, and visuals. How are they arranged and what kind of user experience do they provide? If your ad has annoying visual features that interrupt the customer’s path to purchase, then you won’t convert your customers and increase sales.

The question is, why is a consumer’s advertising experience important to both publishers and advertisers? In the end, the answer is all about user experience. You don’t need comprehensive research studies to understand the old axiom that less is more. Consider ad density as one example. If you have optimized your ad slots to include formats that your client’s ideal customer is more likely to interact with, you will increase your ad revenue while decreasing your overall ad density. A case study completed by German digital publishing giant Burda proved that a better user experience actually decreases ad inventory. So, what is a publisher or affiliate to do to ensure they firmly control their customer’s ad experience?

Create ads with a user-first approach

There is a good reason why customers do not engage with ads that are disruptive and don’t intuitively flow with their experience. It is incumbent on advertisers to use the data available to them — without being invasive – to figure out the optimal moments during a user’s path to purchase that a contextualized brand ad should be delivered.

Leave the user in control

First and foremost, do not hijack the screen. Don’t approach your users like it’s the year 2,000. Poor digital ad formats, banner ads, pre-roll, and other annoying interstitials should not be used – let alone on mobile. These do a disservice to the retailers who rely on these ads for sales. As users spend time in unique app environments, from health trackers to photo editors and more – ad creators and publishers need to get creative about ad delivery.

Offer undeniable value

If you’ve reached this point in your advertising strategy, you’ve considered the tough questions. You understand the process of contextualization. And you use consumer data strategically, ensuring your message and approach align with consumer needs. But more than anything, you provide a certain value proposition. There is no better way to get a consumer’s attention than by ensuring they feel their attention is worth something and that they will get something out of it in return.

In the end, these ideas are not new. For publishers, affiliates, and retailers, focusing on the customer is key to strong ad performance. Why take the easy road and fall into the same old money-losing tactics that kill your consumer credibility? Instead, focus on consumer experience and path to purchase to ensure your ads perform every time.