What are the problems for going forward?
We still have to do a few things if this Internet advertising boom is actually going to blast. It's not going to be automatic. There are still a few technical and business issues that need to be ironed out but we've already overcome a few big hurdles.
Accuracy of Data
Measuring actual eyeballs on the Web is tricky. It’s more of an art than a science. But anyone spending money buying Web ads wants to make sure the ads are really getting seen by as many people as the sites say are seeing them. Sites selling the ads want to make sure they get paid every time someone is served a banner ad. Standard measurement protocols are emerging. And there doesn’t seem to be a huge rush to having sites audited by one of the auditing agencies. Having one of the big-name programs or agencies serving your ads seems to be guarantee enough for most Web ad buyers.
Educating Ad Buyers
This is already happening pretty steadily. As I said before, traditional ad buyers are starting to ‘get’ it.
Common Size, Etc. Standards
This also seems to be sorting itself out. My worry is that we are getting too standardized and missing out on some creative ad shapes and positioning. Interstitials can be interesting but how do you price them? Each one has to be pretty much a one-off custom thing. 'Sponsorships' defy standardizing since the word isn't really defined yet but there is certainly potential for a new Internet advertising paradigm or two in there somewhere.
Privacy
Privacy is a big issue right now and is getting big media attention. I like Privacy. Privacy is good for small children and cuddly animals and whales. Most people like the idea of Privacy but don't really care too much about the daily issues. Just as the noise about the safety of credit cards on the Web has died down a bit, the privacy thing will too. The net cyber-cash type companies never really took off because, for the most part, people decided to go ahead and use credit cards on the Internet. Incredibly, people are quite willing to go for Amazon’s 1-Click deal. People aren't all that worried about personal privacy either. Infomediary portals are emerging that will allow people to comfortably surf all over the Web and have their passwords and personal information safely guarded. The UK is becoming a hotbed for development of infomediary technology. You don’t hear quite as much noise about cookies anymore either because they're just not that intrusive.
Banner ads are all well and good and will probably be around for quite a while in one form or another. But laser-point personalisation is going to spawn a whole new advertising industry that might truly eat St. Louis. Targeted Marketing Based on Visitor Profiling.