Ad Load Performance Best Practices
Back in May, I talked about the impact of ad performance on Web page load time, and the formation of an Ad Load Performance Working Group within the IAB to try to do something about it.
The first output from this working group was announced today at the IAB Ad Operations Summit in New York.
The Ad Load Performance Best Practices document provides guidance for all the players in the ad creation and delivery ecosystem, including agencies, vendors, and publishers, on techniques to reduce the load time of ads.
A companion document from the Rich Media & Ajax Working Group on Best Practices for Rich Media Ads in Asynchronous Ad Environments was also released today. While the title suggests a niche focus, the techniques described offer general performance improvements by allowing ads to load asynchronously with page content.
The Ad Load Performance Best Practices document is a foundation for future initiatives from the working group. Ideas for future work include objective methods (and tools) for quantifying ad load performance, and identifying the impact of slow ads on user experience and ad effectiveness. Stay tuned.