[hiphopyo]

I prefer affiliate networks because they, unlike AdSense, give me the freedom to design my own ads. Also there's this:

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussi...

Who wants this eyesore on their websites anyway?

http://adsense.blogspot.se/2014/05/a-new-look-for-text-ads-o...

I'm surprised the AdSense team is still toying around with amateur designs at the expense of the whole AdSense programme. I've seen the past works of the designers on the AdSense team and I'm not impressed. Plus it's quite naive to think that one design will fit all websites. Why can't AdSense, like other ad and affiliate networks, just open up an API so publishers themselves can be in charge of how their ads look and behave?

[AJ007]

Affiliate ads may work well for narrow topics, but you are not going to be able to replicate the contextual ad earnings for larger sites. You have a lot of management overhead, additional payment risk, advertiser legal risk, and so on.

This is how Google is keeping their revenue moving up as desktop usage drops. It is a combination of fucking around with the Adsense style (more clicks) and advertisers (packaging tablet with desktop, now lumping in search with display "select.")

Adsense ads might be ugly, so is display. Auto-playing video ads are even worse. If your business model relies on advertising, either take it our build your own ad platform (some companies have done quite well with this, like Indeed and PlentyofFish.)

[adventured]

Affiliate networks (eg Commission Junction or LinkShare) solve pretty much all of the problems you mentioned.

It's a large business now, and can cover broad and narrow topics. Major affiliate networks can't compete with the scale of AdSense, but then no other ad network can either.

[hueving]

What you're asking for (publisher control of the look) contradicts the complaint about eye sores on your website. The majority of publishers will do whatever they can to get attention and we'll fall back to the flashing, blinking, and terrible contrast ads of 10 years ago.