Accidental clicks ‘a myth on optimised tablet formats’
New analysis of desktop and tablet traffic from across InSkin Media’s premium ad network has shown that, contrary to popular belief, high click-through-rates (CTRs) on optimised tablet advertising formats are genuine.
Working in partnership with data intelligence company Webtrekk to gain strategic insights into its ad network, InSkin’s research shows how ads that wrap around the content of a web page ensure ‘legitimate clicks’ and stronger brand awareness – with tablet CTRs three times higher than on desktops.
The company collected over two months’ worth of data from across its desktop and tablet networks, analysing and contrasting user behaviour to gain a deeper understanding of how users engage with advertising on different devices.
CTRs have been recorded as higher than on desktops across the industry for some time, with many accusing poor advertising formats of registering ‘accidental’ clicks, as users touch their devices to scroll down a content page – which averages 6 – 10 swipes on an iPad to reach the bottom of a page.
However, InSkin Media’s data shows an equal distribution of clicks over the entire range of page lengths. If conventional knowledge were to be believed, the report’s authors argue, there would be a greater disconnect between tablet and desktop CTRs as the page height increases, with tablet CTRs recorded as higher on longer pages.
The correlation in desktop and tablet CTRs shows that a properly optimised tablet advertising format, designed to resist clicking through from anything but a tap, delivers optimum performance and results.
On a ‘PageSkin Tablet’, for instance, the brand messaging remains in the users’ eye-line as they scroll the page, resulting in long brand exposure and taps which register genuine brand interest, the report says.
The report concludes that advertising needs to be tailored for device and environment. “If the format is optimised for the device, engagement will follow,” it states.
Likewise, “content is King,” it suggests, with longer pages leading to higher dwell times, and, in turn, “driving higher interaction rates on desktop and tablet.”
“InSkin Media’s publisher partners spend significant resources optimising the user experience on their sites across all screens,” explains Reda Borchardt, InSkin Media CTO.
“Our experience shows that using optimised ad formats, tightly integrated with the environment, delivers much greater value than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
“Technically, the same ad could be displayed on tablet and desktop browsers. However, in practice, given the different mindset of users as they consume content on different devices, coupled with the different technical capabilities of those devices, we strongly believe in device-optimised ad formats, to deliver a more effective and engaging experience.
“Tablet advertising formats need to be optimised to ensure they only respond to deliberate taps, and are immune from accidental clicks as users scroll the page. We are delighted to see the empirical evidence that there is a clear link between content length, dwell time and engagement rates in high quality environments. Consumers who have chosen high quality content generate higher dwell times, irrespective of the device used.”
The full research, available on InSkin’s website, shows further insight into additional usage patterns by channel, age and user interests. InSkin Media and Webtrekk say they now plan to deepen the insights further to identify day part patterns, weekly and monthly patterns, channel trends and more.