While there’s no exact stats, it’s generally believed that click-through rates on internet ads have been declining, similar to open rates for email newsletters.
Twenty years ago, when people were new to the Internet, many would click on ads at the top of Google and other search results without much hesitation. But as people became more familiar with browsing, they started recognizing these top spots as ads and preferred to click on the organic search results instead.
The same trend applies to ads that appear in social media feeds on platforms like Facebook or those that show up automatically on news sites and blogs. Fewer people are clicking on these ads compared to before.
Interestingly, frequent internet users tend to avoid clicking on ads, while people who don’t use computers or smartphones often might click on ads without much thought.
Because of this, fully specialized services and advanced B2B offerings may not perform as well in click-throughs as popular consumer products and services.
Of course, even if click-through rates are relatively low, they’re still a few percent—and in some cases, certain well-designed ads can achieve rates as high as 20-30%. With the right approach, ads can still deliver great results.
