Minimalism in web design

I see a lot of ideas about reducing distractions on websites but despite that, popular and viral websites are peppered with ads like a NASCAR racer. What’s your preference and what had worked for you. Please share a link of your blog or website so we can check it out.

It really depends on the niche, upon your audience and such.
I run a website that is all about b2b stuff, my readers are a bit more professional, most are college educated, they have seen technical knowledge. I keep the distractions to a minimum, ads in sidebars are often ignored(if they don't mostly use ad blockers).
I run another site that is niche news, my visitors are generally less educated, easily duped, distrust education even. I glitz it up! Flashy ads, BIG ads, LOTS of ads.

There is no one size fits all, it is about knowing your audience and building the site and the monetization strategy around that.