Adware As Online Advertising

Adware is becoming a premier form of online advertising today. Adware is software that is free but advertising-supported. For example, some web browsers are free to download, but their development is paid for by the support of advertisers, so small graphic or text ads appear within the browser window promoting the services or products of the software's supporters. Adware is an effective method of online advertising, if used honestly. Some people don't trust adware because unscrupulous companies claim to offer free software that turns out to be adware (but they don't disclose that the software is ad-supported) after they have downloaded and installed the software. In this case, the users feel duped. However, there are many legitimate uses of adware as online advertising. If you are considering placing your advertisement in a piece of software, be sure that the software development company fully discloses that its software titles are ad-supported in the software descriptions. Effective examples of online advertising with adware are: Peer-to-Peer software: The software such as Napster, Morpheus and Kazaa, which people use to share files

across networks of millions of other file-sharing enthusiasts, is often ad-supported. Every time a user loads the software to download or upload files, your online advertising is displayed. E-mail software: Many popular clients such as Eudora have come in free ad-supported versions. Every time a user uses the e-mail client to send e-mail, your online advertising is seen. In some cases, it's even included in the e-mails they send, exposing your business to wider audiences. Browser software: Some free browsers such as Opera's free version are ad-supported. Whenever a user loads the browser to view a web page, your online advertising is seen in the browser window as a text or banner ad.