In the mobile world, there are a lot of different types of ads that come in all sizes and shapes. Some of these ads are convenient to the user, but we all know that many ads in mobile applications are very bad. Why are mobile in-app ads so bad?
There are 4 reasons why mobile in-app ads are so irritating:
- Flawed ads: ad that has a technical issue such as no “close” button
- ad that tricks the user in thinking they have a virus, for example
- Low-quality ads: ad that has bad display due to size and resolution
- Offensive ads: ad that is not appropriate to an audience
Also, these ads come in many formats:
- Banner ads: appears on the edges of the screen
- Interstitial ads: picture that covers the entire screen with hidden “close” button
- Video ads: video that covers the entire screen with hidden “close” button
- Rewarded video ads: video, if watched, gives you an in-app reward
Most of these awful ads are in mobile games. Some apps offer you to remove the ads if you pay a certain amount.
It is important to understand how mobile applications advertising works. The publisher chooses an ad network, the bridge between the publisher and the advertisers. The publisher then chooses the ad formats, and the pricing model. The pricing model is on what action the user gets paid for: visibility of the ad or the click on the ad. In these ad networks, bad ads sneak in to make money on the publisher and the user. This usually happens when the publisher doesn’t monitor the ads that come through the app.
If in-app ads are this atrocious, why do publishers don’t do anything about them? Simply because it is the easiest and fastest revenue stream a publisher could have. With 96.7% of apps being free on the Google play store, and 92.9% on Apple’s App Store, the publishers adopt this in-app ad monetization strategy to be profitable.
As digital marketers, it is very important to know what a good ad is, but also the opposite to not repeat the same mistakes, and to create better content. We must make sure that the client’s needs and experience are the priority.
