Getting Your Setup Right: Hybrid Header bidding Pros and Cons
We have already covered the pros and cons of both client-side header bidding and server-side header bidding setups. Today, we focus on a third option…
The Third Option: A Hybrid Model Using Both Client and Server-side Models
Something we are seeing more frequently is publishers using a hybrid of both solutions together — a hybrid solution leveraging the best attributes of both client-side and server-side running at the same time.
While today you may be only using client side, remain flexible and have an organization that listens to change in the market, which may point you toward further evolution of your header bidding setup.
Hybrid Header Bidding Solutions – Pros:
- Publishers can tier their monetization partners into those that get preferred access (on page) in the client-side implementation and those that get access only through server-side
- Publishers can keep partners “on their game” by positioning the client-side as a place of honor if they perform in the server set up.
- Publishers receive the best of both worlds: high paying data-driven sellers on the page in the client-side setup and maximized competition via more direct demand that theoretically doesn’t hurt the user experience in the server-side set up.
Hybrid Header Bidding Solutions – Cons:
- It goes without saying that if you multiply the number of channels and partners you leverage to monetize inventory, you multiply complexity, making it more difficult to manage yield holistically across your stack.
- More data silos. Each partner has their own unique data set that will need to be manipulated to understand that partner’s position and productivity in your stack
- Operating two different technologies and integrations can cause operational headaches and cause the team to spend more time putting out fires
- The same data opacity issues from server-side header bidding solutions will persist here with the partners you have in your server-side solution
Now that you understand the advantages and limitations of each of the three options for a header setup, we now should address the factors and questions that you should use to decision on your setup. To help the decision, we suggest asking four questions that we will cover next part of this series. Stay tuned!