It’s 2012, iPhones and Android smartphones are all over the place, not to mention the up and coming tables such as Apple’s iPad and tablets based on Google’s Android operating system. So with all these mobile devices popping up in great numbers here and there, how much traffic do they actually account for, on the Internet?Well, in May 2012, global mobile traffic had grown to 10% of all Internet traffic, according to research firm KPCB*. Maybe that number doesn’t seem high at first, but just 1.5 years ago (December 2010) it was 4%, and 1 year before that (December 2009) it was only 1%. So in less than 3 years, mobile traffic grew from 1% of internet traffic, to 10%. Who knows how it’s actually going to look in another 3 years.
So to answer the question in the subject – yes, now it’s time to look into monetising your mobile apps and websites. Here’s why…
If you have ads on your regular website (optimized for desktop computers/notebooks), you get ad revenue, either on an impression-basis or when a user clicks on it. If you have a mobile-optimized website that a mobile user visits, chances are you don’t have any ads on it right now – most mobile websites are like that, at this time. Essentially this means you’re loosing money when a mobile user visits your website.
In 2011, Americans would spend 43% of their media consuming time with a TV and advertisers spent 42% of their ad budget on TV as well. On the Internet, they spent 26% and advertisers spend 22% of their ad budgets. But on mobile, the Americans spent 10% but advertisers only 1%. That’s a big opportunity waiting for you right there.
But how to get started? Well, for starters, one could check out the madvertise mobile monetisation services offered by madvertise (clever play on “mobile” and “advertise”, get it?). Mobile advertising is an emerging industry and you don’t want to be left behind once it starts to really pick up, so get started on drafting those mobile-money-making plans of yours.
Good luck monetising your mobile websites and apps!
* Source: KPCB chart.
I don’t really mind when websites are monetized, when i am viewing them on a computer, but adds on a mobile phone irk me. Taking up screen estate, when it is already limited, isn’t something which goes good by me.
I think mobile advertising will take off soon enough due mostly to convenience. Most people now use their smartphone to navigate the web so it’s only natural that people would want to advertise their businesses on such an environment.
I agree with Kuldeep adverts on a mobile phone that has a small screen are really annoying. At the moment i wouldn’t consider advertising my business on mobile devices.