Ahh, Is it Time for Real Advertising Metrics?

I have said for quite some time now that web sites and the advertisers that support them need to move away from the classic model of page views determining ad revenue. Aside from the design disaster that this entails (do you really like having to click and load 20 new pages to look at a photo gallery?), I believe that it hurts the advertiser, as well. Particularly if each click loads a different ad from, maybe, a different advertiser.

A better metric is to look at time on a page. There’s a better chance of an impression as the natural saccadic movements of the eye scan the page and it allows for a more … uh … mature ad design, one that isn’t designed to blink or dance or scream at you.

And now, according to a post by Mike Davidson, MSNBC.com is moving in that direction.

Can we get an amen?