As with many things in life, the answer to the question, “What type of ad would be best integrated with my Android application?” is: It depends.
There are many different types and formats of advertising for Android apps, so let’s take a look at several options that are popular.
Mobile application advertising
- Launch Prestitial: This type of app ad consists of a full screen advertisement that is displayed to users prior to the application loading and can be static or video content. It is used heavily by premium brand advertisers and can deliver higher eCPMs than other advertising. These ads are perceived by some users as less intrusive, since they display first and then disappear instead of remaining on the screen during app use.
- Transition Interstitial: This type of app ad is similar to launch prestitial, but instead of appearing initially the ads appear at transition points during the running of an application. These ads may also be perceived by some users as less intrusive when used effectively, although they provide the added benefit to advertisers of showing multiple ads during the time an application is being used.
- Banner Ads: This type of app ad can typically be displayed at or near the top or bottom of the screen. They typically offer higher fill rates than other types of advertising. They are also less intrusive in size than other types of ads, although they continue to run while users are interacting with an application.
Other types of app ads are also available based on the mobile platform and device being used. These ads vary in size and options. Some may display with the option for users to close them while others may offer the option to expand for additional ad space.
With such a wide and growing range of options, Android developers are best served by keeping their options open as much as possible. Fortunately, today’s software development kits make it easy to integrate a variety of ad types and placements while delivering compelling advertising content for users.
One of the most important factors developers need to keep in mind, regardless of the type of ad they choose to integrate, is the placement of their advertising. The key to making advertising effective is to place it naturally within the flow of an application, so that it can be easily seen but doesn’t interfere with the user experience. For full page ads that goal involves choosing the right transitions, while for banner ads it means developers need to potentially think about how applications are designed well before they decide to implement advertising.
The good news is that mobile app advertising options are growing and changing all the time to meet demand, so there is no shortage of alternatives for implementing effective ads in nearly any Android application.
