A knock on ad networks

Apparently I am not the only one feeling a little put out by the risk-reward ratio of online ad networks. MediaPost's Online Publishing Insider makes my complaints look trite:

Before you sign on or renew agreements with companies that harvest inventory you have grown, which includes Google -- a company that appears as many things and yet most closely resembles an ad network -- you should consider the money you lose with every dollar you make leasing out your inventory to a third-party seller.

The article explains the risks to content sites: devalued inventory, poor user experience, loss of control over creative.

Some sites do make good money accepting ads from networks and agencies that specialize in filling remnant inventory, so it is possible to win with networks at least in the short term. But if you guard your site's brand closely, be cautious and consider the long-term impacts from the presence of network ads. The article describes those very well.