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Advantages of a hosted ad server (part 2)

In our previous article, we discussed the time saving and performance advantages of a hosted ad server. In this article, we will continue to talk about other benefits you can enjoy when choosing a good ad serving solution.

Cost saving

You might think that you pay a one-time fee to download an ad serving software and then you can use it forever. However, the reality is not simple like that. Software does not stay the same. It evolves over time, often very quickly. After downloading and installing the software, you will need to frequently update it to fix bugs, patch vulnerabilities and get new features. You or your tech team will need to download and test each update, solve any compatibility issues. Minor software updates might be free but a major update or upgrade might cost you some additional fees or a whole new purchase. The total cost of ownership for a self-hosted ad server might add up quickly and yet not fully visible to a new user initially.

With a hosted ad server, these software updates are almost always behind the scenes and it is done by a team of experts who are very familiar with its code and functionality. It’s done without you having to do anything. You get new features and a more secure system by simply staying subscribed to a suitable plan. The ad serving cost is often based on the number of ad impressions, which is easy to understand, calculate and budget for. This cost structure is flexible because you can upgrade to a big plan during busy months and downgrade to a smaller plan during off-peak seasons. You can start small and then upgrade to a bigger plan as your business grows. The more you use, the better pricing you can get from the ad server vendor. There are also discounts for prepayments or annual subscriptions. After establishing a good relationship with the ad server company, you can even get special discounts for being their loyal customers.

Flexible customizations

Many ad servers offer a white label solution, which means even if you don’t own the ad server or spend any money to develop it, you can still make it look like a part of your own system. You can customize the look and feel of the interface. You can enable or disable certain functionality to fit your own setup, workflows or processes. Many ad servers offer different more advanced features via add-ons or modules that you can subscribe to add functionality depending on your specific needs. Some publishers and advertisers just have a simple ad setup while others want a detailed level of ad targeting and reporting with different breakdowns and filters. Ad network operators might want their ad server solution to have specific features for ad networks so they can manage their own publishers and advertisers more effectively. If you need more control or a more advanced integration, you can use the provided API (Application Programming Interface) and write your own code or script to do many tasks, including ad creation, reporting, or trafficking. The ad server's API opens a whole new world because you can fully control how things work. You can use the ad server at the core layer and as building blocks to build a more advanced and customized setup. This flexibility is especially useful when you just get started and do not want to be tied up to any big commitment.

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