Widgets are browser-based apps that display data from various sources. Many ecommerce sites use widgets to enhance the customer experience and increase conversions. Widgets can do things like display a collection of customer-generated content (CGC) photos, enable visitors to contact customer service via chat – or showcase trending products. If your ecommerce site displays Ratings & Reviews, there’s a good chance it’s via a widget.

Widgets can boost your sales by creating an enjoyable online shopping experience and exposing customers to new products and positive social proof. Unfortunately, more than 25% of internet users in the U.S. have an ad blocker enabled, so it’s possible a significant portion of your site visitors aren’t seeing your widgets. This can lead to a broken user experience for customers and lower profits for your brand.

Ad blockers can’t tell what type of content they’re blocking

Most ad-blocking software simply searches a site’s code against a list of keywords to block and then gets to work. Unfortunately, this means ad blockers sometimes block things that aren’t actually ads. Some ad blocking software, especially those made for mobile devices, is touted as a way to speed up web browsing. Speed requires efficiency, so these blockers tend to use less specific blocking rules. Widgets that use JavaScript are often victims of this process.

Instead of reviewing the code in detail, the ad blocker uses a general rule that stops any third-party JavaScript code. This means code that serves up valuable customer-generated content or helpful customer service chats is blocked along with the code for advertisements.

How to Get Around Ad Blockers

Choose Widgets From Trustworthy Third-Party Providers

Another way to help keep ad blockers from targeting your widgets is to choose ones created by reputable third parties. Established ecommerce software companies such as TurnTo are adept at creating widgets that work seamlessly with your site. Instead of endlessly searching your site for that needle in a haystack that’s setting off the ad blockers, you can confidently leave it in the hands of professionals. It’s important not to assume your software provider has solved this problem for you. It is recommended that you include the question, “How do your widgets handle ad blockers?” in every relevant RFP that you issue.

Avoid Common Triggers

When adding code to your site, avoid using common adblocker triggers such as “ad,” “track,” and “sponsor” as element class names. Similarly, stay away from triggers in your image file paths. Many people include an image's dimensions in the file name (e.g., “sample_image_300x600”). While this makes it easier to keep your image files organized on the back end, it can also trigger an ad block filter if the dimensions match common ad sizes. There are countless different filter lists that content blockers use as their guide to what block, so it’s impossible to optimize your site against every trigger on every list. A better option is to review the most widely used filter list, called EasyList, to identify what aspects of your file names or site code are setting off the ad blocker.

Ask customers to Disable Adblockers

Consumers are more open to this than you might expect. The number one reason people use ad blockers is to stop intrusive ads, and many users aren’t aware that the software can also block non-advertisement features. You can give your customers a heads-up about the helpful features they may miss out on due to an overzealous adblocker. To do this, insert ad blocker detection code on your site. When this code detects a content blocker, it can trigger a popup informing your visitor to disable their ad blocker to enjoy product recommendations, content sharing, or other great features your widgets provide.

Working Around Ad Blockers for the Best User-Experience

Consumers are tired of being bombarded with advertisements on every site they visit, so ad blockers are here to stay. Try the tips above to keep your widgets working hard for your customers and your brand.