Applying an advertising revenue model for my product (e-transit product rentals) would only make sense if we were to put ads on our website, where you can rent these bikes. A pro of this is that it would generate extra revenue from the revenue we already generate through our rental services. The cons are that it will add extra clutter to our website, which we don’t want if we want to achieve optimal user experience for the user so that they can seamlessly purchase their new e-transit product. Additionally, it may detract attention away from our own products. The cons seem to outweigh the pros, so this wouldn’t be something that would be beneficial for our product.
The pro of an advertising revenue model for the Internet is largely the fact that people do not have to pay to use the Internet, which in turn democratizes the Internet. Without this model, users would have to pay to view and interact with content. Because it’s so easy to access the Internet with this model, it also means a particular site can draw in more users.
The cons of this model for the Internet is that it can hurt user experience for a site; as Ethan mentions, it’s like “swatting flies.” This is especially true if the ads are not something that most users don’t want or are interested in. Additionally, it has created a sense of complacency for users to accept an Internet that constantly surveils its users through selling data about them. Because of this, users accept this as the current reality of the Internet, and there is no strong push for change.
