Header bidding technology has greatly improved the online advertising world and continues to grow in popularity. Having significantly improved older processes, the benefits of header bidding are obvious. Not only does header bidding increase revenue by simplifying the bidding process, it also improves user experience by ensuring access to all available inventory. While the benefits of header bidding technology are clear, it can be complicated to manage on your site. Header bidding requires more script, which can lead to slower page loading and difficulty maintaining performance. The header bidding wrapper aims to improve these systemic issues and optimize header bidding functionality. While multiple sources for header bidding exist, a prebid.js wrapper offers significant benefits, making it a top choice to consider for your site.

What are the Benefits?

Prebid has become extremely popular due to multiple factors.  First, the technology is absolutely free and open source, making it widely accessible to everyone. Auctions run fast, decreasing response time and delays. Because of this, the experience is optimized for customers and publishers. The technology is flexible, working with both mobile and desktop channels and multiple formats including display, native or video. The system maintains analytics to help you understand what is working and what to include. Additionally, prebid has its own community network. Because of this sense of community, set up help is readily available and professional help is available from experts when you need it. Of course, the ultimate goal of your online advertising is to make money. When header bidding runs effectively with a prebid.js wrapper, perhaps the most important benefit you’ll see is an increase in profits.

How Does It Work?

It’s relatively easy to get started with prebid. First, you’ll need to add the code to your page and establish ad networks or SSPs that are supported. Without significantly interrupting the loading of content on your page, prebid contacts bidders to determine available bids. You will need to set a time limit for the auction to avoid significant delays and keep the process running in a timely manner, though prebid does work to optimize efficiency as much as possible. As bids are received, the price and content become query string parameters when added to your server.

Are There Downsides?

While the prebid.js wrapper is popular in the world of header bidding, there are some downsides of header bidding to consider as well. While prebid may be free and easily accessible, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy to set up and maintain if you don’t have any experience with this type of technology. You may need help getting up and running, as well assistance with optimization. Additionally, while the header bidding wrapper is meant to improve slowdowns and help prevent issues with page loading, the amount of script required for header bidding will inevitably cause some delay. This can lead to frustration or even incongruities in ad serving. While there are multiple factors to consider when thinking about using a prebid.js wrapper, try it for yourself to determine if it’s the right way to go for your site.