For a long time, ads have been a pillar of monetizing content and niche sites. While that’s still true, forward thinking web entrepreneurs are now including programmatic ads in a new future of website monetization. This includes digital assets like Shopify stores, SaaS businesses, Affiliate sites and more.
Find out why ads are becoming important pieces of these businesses and why now.
Myths of Programmatic Ads
For years, display ads had a bad reputation. Many people saw them as spammy, distracting, or cluttered. And in some cases, that was true. But it’s important to understand why that perception formed.
In the early days of niche websites, it was easy to rank in Google search. Anyone could spin up a site, get organic traffic, and monetize with programmatic ads. Because ads were the simplest way to make money, many site owners pushed them to the extreme. They packed their pages with as many ads as possible to boost short-term revenue.
The result? A wave of low-quality sites that felt like ad farms. That’s the image many publishers still have in mind today—crowded layouts, slow pages, and a poor user experience.
But things have changed. Modern platforms like AdSense and Ezoic give publishers full control over ad density, placement, and layout. You can choose exactly how many ads show on each page and where they appear. Want a clean, minimal approach? Easy. Want a more aggressive strategy? Also possible. Programmatic ads are now flexible tools, not forced templates.
Another old misconception is that ads will look random or off-topic. Years ago, it wasn’t unusual to see unrelated brands retargeted across every type of site—like a Nike ad on a financial blog. Today, targeting is far more precise. Publishers can filter out categories they don’t want, or allow only topics that match their niche.
And with the rise of first-party data, ad targeting has become even sharper. Advertisers can pay a premium to reach a well-defined audience, making the ads more relevant and the revenue stronger.
Programmatic ads aren’t the messy, mismatched tools they used to be. With the right partner and strategy, they can be clean, relevant, and highly profitable.
Where Ads Will Work in the Future of Website Monetization
Now with a better understanding of the type of experience ads can provide in the future of website monetization, it’s helpful to understand the businesses and websites they are already being used today. The following examples may seem like non traditional places for ads but this is how they are being leveraged across today’s landscape.
Monetize SaaS and Subscription Content with Ads
SaaS businesses are popular for offering two types of plans. One that allows limited features and access for free users. Another plan for paying users who use the product more extensively. While a great business model, oftentimes the majority of users never pay to upgrade which results in millions of users accessing a service for free.
Introducing programmatic ads for a free tier of users not only instantly creates a new revenue stream but it also creates a new incentive for users to pay for the upgraded ad-free experience.
Duolingo is a perfect example of this. For users on the free plan of their language learning service, a single non-intrusive ad is introduced for the web experience. Duolingo is a $500 million/year business. Only 9% of users pay for the service. Ads generate 8% of total revenue across free users (~$40 million/year). That’s a handsome amount that simultaneously creates more conversions into paying customers.
Netflix uses a similar model. Tired of ad breaks during your favorite TV show? Upgrade your paid plan. The freemium model is here to stay and blends with any subscription business.
This is an area where newsletter first publishers can lean into this future of website monetization. Instead of allowing users to read content freely while hoping they buy a subscription – monetize them instantly with display ads until they choose to pay.
Ads for E-commerce and Affiliate
Similar to SaaS and subscription businesses, ads can help E-commerce or affiliate companies generate extra revenue by displaying premium ads in discrete locations on select pages; all without disrupting conversions.
Oftentimes, these businesses think it’s one or the other. They think their products and/or commissions are more profitable so anything extra will kill conversions. The reality is this isn’t true when done properly.
Placing ads that aren’t near a ‘Checkout’ or call to action will not disrupt a purchasing experience.
Take Kohls as a perfect example. Programmatic ads are used at the bottom of product pages which don’t interfere with the shopping experience.
This same ad model can be prescribed to any Shopify store or affiliate site.
Reward Ads for Games and Tool Sites
One of the newest waves in web monetization is reward ads. These are opt-in ads that give users something in return — access, features, or bonuses. The idea is simple: watch an ad, unlock value.
Reward ads have been popular in gaming for years. Players watch a short video to earn an extra life, more play time, or in-game currency. Users understand the trade-off, and because the ad is optional, it rarely feels intrusive.
What’s changed is how widely this model can now be applied. Reward ads work just as well on tool, software, and subscription-based sites. Instead of gating everything behind a paywall, publishers can offer flexible access. For example, a user might watch an ad to unlock a premium feature, extend usage limits, or gain temporary access to paid tools.
This model benefits both sides. Users get immediate value without pulling out a credit card. Publishers earn high-value ad revenue while keeping the experience clean and user-friendly.
Below is a great example of a reward ad in action — watching a short ad unlocks additional access to download a video clip.
How to Prepare for the Future of Website Monetization
As the free web continues to evolve, programmatic ads are no longer limited to traditional content sites. They’re being thoughtfully integrated into SaaS platforms, ecommerce stores, tools, and subscription businesses in ways that respect the user experience. This modern, freemium-style approach allows businesses to protect what matters most — conversions, usability, and trust — while unlocking an additional revenue stream that works quietly in the background.