Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) appears to have found an easy solution for a complicated issue with its new crowd-funding tool known as Contributor. The new service charges users a nominal fee, and in return, promises them an ad-free experience.
Google offers a solution to a complicated issue
The web gets its funding from advertisements, but people generally don’t like them. This has led to clashes, causing trouble for news websites and other publishers. Ad blockers that help protect users from annoying ads are blocking revenue earned by the news websites and other publishers. This complicated issue has two sides, and the new Google service addresses both of those issues.
Google launched Contributor on Thursday. With the new service, users can back the websites they like for a nominal monthly fee of $1, $2 or $3. The place where ads used to appear on the websites will be replaced by a “Thank You” message on those websites that choose to participate in the program. The idea is being tested by Google with ten websites, including The Onion, ScienceDaily, Urban Dictionary, and Mashable.
Will users accept it?
Google’s existing advertising channels are helping in serving the “Thank You” notes, but from each contribution made, Google takes a cut. The cost of the ad space is covered by the $1 to $3 fee charged to its users. The platform is going through continuous development, and hence, all of this is still susceptible to change.
“At this point, what we’ve rolled out is very much an experiment,” a Google spokesperson tells Wired. “We’re getting the publishers on board today. We’ll see not just how it works but also the public interest level.”
Almost all users are against their personal data being sold to advertisers and do not wish to view ads on the websites they visit, and this move from Google seeks to solve their problem, but with a cost. But the new service may not be able to serve the purpose, as internet users are now used to getting content free online. Though users hate ads and ad tracking, they hate paying for free content even more.
