If you’re a regular user of regular websites, you might’ve noticed some tiny images at the bottom of your browser. These include ads for many different companies.
But what are hidden ads? What should you do when they pop up? Do they cause any harm to your computer or internet connection, and how can they be removed? All these questions and more are answered in this brief article.
What Do Hidden Advertisements Look Like?
These ads can mean a lot of things. You may see them as pop-ups, rollovers, or banners. They are very similar to normal advertisements, except they’re not always obvious. Sometimes they’re barely visible at all, so they’re called hidden.
What Do Hidden Advertisements Do?
Most of the time, people who add a web advertisement to their website include it for one reason only: Money. If you’re getting their information from the internet for free, you can’t blame them for doing so.
But if you’re someone who pays to be looked at and told what to do, you should keep reading.
Why are They Doing It?
Many people do not realize that they can purchase a low-cost advertising package with many different services all rolled into one. When using a web-based advertisement service, you get several advertising methods such as banners and pop-ups, email advertising, etc. Sometimes even, multiple websites can be advertised as well. Hidden advertising examples include:
- Banner Ads – these are the most common form of web advertising. They are very similar to what you would find on television.
- Pop-ups – the pop-up window is presented when you click on a link. This is how you would get an ad on websites that don’t have a sidebar, such as my website. You can receive pop-ups from search engines as well.
- Banner Text Ads – these are simply ads that appear at the bottom of your screen, which can make it hard for you to read other text on your screen.
These hidden advertising examples can be seen anywhere on the internet, from popular social networking sites to search engines.
How Can I Get Rid of Them?
Because hidden advertisements are designed to look like normal site content, many people will not realize that they are unwanted advertisements. This is why the first thing you should do if you don’t like them is to learn how to remove ads manually. If you don’t see anything that looks like an advertisement anywhere on your browser, there isn’t one there. You may have been told they’re impossible to remove, but this is not true.
Hidden advertisements can be removed in several ways. One method is to use a program that removes ads and protects your privacy, such as a browser add-on. You can also block them from every site you visit, which is not recommended. Many websites offer options that allow you to opt-out of unwanted advertisements. If a website isn’t selling something, then it can’t be considered spam or any other kind of unwanted advertisement.
Should I Be Worried About Them?
When someone sees an ad on their computer or in the newspaper or magazine they are reading, they usually ignore it and continue with their work or go about the rest of their day. This is exactly what you should do when you see an advertisement on your computer. Just ignore it. If you don’t pay for advertising, then there is no harm done when an advertisement pops up on your screen.
Hidden advertisements aren’t a problem, and they can’t cause any real damage to your computer or internet connection, but they can be annoying. Some people don’t mind them, but others might take offense to the advertisements that they see. If you have an ad blocker on your computer, then there is no way someone can get to you when they try and place a hidden advertisement since they won’t be able to see it.
