September is here. And for everyone in the digital space, that means one thing in particular.
HTML5
The move towards an HTML5 dominated internet experience took huge strides yesterday as Google Chrome updated its platform to block Flash-based web ads. They are not gone completely, but in order for a flash ad to load on Chrome, users will now have to decide if they want to view it, and then play the ads voluntarily. Seeing as Chrome is now the preferred internet browser of over half of the world’s internet using population, this is big.
While many are inevitably intimidated by an update as massive as this one, the move towards HTML5 ads provides countless benefits. For starters, Flash-based ads have steadily lost popularity due to causing increased page load times and battery consumption, and a growth in malicious adware across both desktop and mobile. The implementation of HTML5 ads in tandem with the diminishing presence of flash ads will greatly reduce all of these setbacks to the online user experience.
Additionally, HTML5 opens the door to new and improved rich media options for online advertising. Expect to see an increase in custom size units, as well as rich and responsive expandables in both standard display and video. But the key benefit of HTML5 ads lies in its seamless integration across desktop and mobile.
According to Business Insider, mobile advertising revenue will increase by over 50% between 2014 and end of 2015. And that figure is only expected to grow over time. It has never been more important to fully integrate, if not completely emphasize, mobile presence in any digital campaign. It comes as a surprise to some that flash ads were never supported on the iPhone or iPad. With the integration of HTML5, ads will now be supported both in-app and on the web across all mobile devices.
Are you excited for this new age in digital? We are! Welcome to HTML5.
