It is common knowledge that Tablets provide a much higher and superior monetizing opportunity when compared to smartphones. Since Tablets have more premium and high value users, if done right, Tablet-optimized apps can make 3-4x more money for the developer. But ironically, due to simple and basic mistakes, Tablet apps at times make half the money that a Smartphone app makes through ads. Half the monetization when these apps should be making more than double! So, what's wrong with this picture? From InMobi large Publisher base, here are the top 3 usual suspects that result in a decreased monetization for Tablet app developers.
- Missing Slot Size: When sending an ad request to an ad network, developers are given the flexibility to not mention a slot size. The ad network will simply provide a default ad based on the type of device. While this is a convenience in case of smartphones, it can spell disaster for a Tablet experience. The below example shows how a 320x50 ad would look on a Tablet app. The user experience is poor resulting in low CTR and low monetization.
[caption id="attachment_6047" align="alignnone" width="544" caption="Figure 3: The experience of a 320x50 ad vs 728x90 ad in an iPad application."]
The immediate question would be, why not serve a 728x90 ad instead of 320x50 by default? In some cases, the 728x90 ad could get cut off in a 320x50 slot size resulting in a worse experience. Hence, to be on the safer side, ad networks will default to the smaller ad unit.
Solution: Make sure you specifically request for a particular sized ad rather than let the ad network use the default ad size.
- Using a 320x50 slot size: For smartphones, developers specifically request for 320x50 slot size. For Tablets, these developers tend to carry on that legacy and continue requesting for the same slot size. The small ad unit not only under-utilizes the available space, it also destroys the quality of the user experience.
[/caption] Solution: Look closely at the available space on your app and request for a slot size that occupies the entire available space
- Not redesigning the ad slot for the tablet app: If the developer knows that the app will show ads, the developer should be thinking of where to show the ad and how to show the ad in an optimal manner. Since the space is larger in a Tablet, the ads served can also be larger and hence monetization is higher. It is important to look at the recommended Tablet ad slot sizes and then design the app to accommodate one of these ads.
[caption id="attachment_6050" align="alignnone" width="638" caption="Figure 4: Experience of a 320x50 ad vs 300x250 ad on an iPad Application"]
[/caption] Among the InMobi publishers, nearly 100% of the publishers who made these changes saw an immediate increase in monetization. They may seem trivial and simple, but experience shows that these are overlooked by many developers who focus on creating a great app and ignore the advertising aspect of the app. Before a developer does go ahead and incorporate these tips, it is important to take a look at the optimized tablet ad sizes and analyze which the best size for the app. Recommendation: Based on historical CTR, InMobi would highly recommend using 768x90 , 300x250 and 468x60 slot sizes in the app for maximum results.
Note: All images in this blog have been engineered for the purpose of explaining the content of the blog. Any resemblance to a real app, active or inactive, is purely coincidental.
