A Review of Online Advertising Effects on the User Experience

This article reviews empirical research conducted in the last decade on the subject of how online display advertising affects the usability and quality of user experience of websites. In particular, from an in-depth analysis of research questions, methods, and findings of the reviewed studies, the following is discussed: (a) which conceptual and theoretical background knowledge, based on psychological explanations of user cognition, affection and behavior, can best support the design and investigation of online advertising, and (b) which specific adverts features and properties are key to understand and favor certain types of effects on users. By capitalizing on this benchmark knowledge on benefits of adverts and their hidden costs, web researchers and practitioners are encouraged to approach online advertising from a deeper and more comprehensive perspective, which is centered on qualities of web interaction that go beyond traditional usability factors. It is speculated that many of the theories and models developed for advertising effectiveness, and variables used to measure it, could and should be applied also when assessing the quality of the user experience when using websites in general, regardless of whether they contain adverts.