Mobile ad network AdMob has launched Download Tracking for iPhone applications, enabling advertisers to accurately monitor App Store conversion rates clicks on an ad that lead to a completed download of the advertised application enabling them to precisely measure their return from advertising on AdMobs network. AdMob has a reach of more than 8.4 million unique iPhones and iPod Touch devices worldwide, as of December 2008.
Advertisers have been clamouring to get more detailed information from the iPhone App Store and want to use it to maximize the value of their mobile ad campaigns, says Jason Spero, Vice President and General Manager of North America for AdMob. AdMobs new iPhone Download Tracking gives advertisers the information they need to accurately assess marketing effectiveness, including the return from advertising spend.
Advertisers can use Download Tracking to view and track multiple applications and drill down to look at conversion rates by specific ad and for specific dates. AdMob says its advertisers are already using this new information to write better ads, calculate their return on ad spend, tune their App Info pages, and develop better pricing strategies.
A limited group of iPhone applications began testing AdMobs Download Tracking in December, and the aggregate data already highlights some interesting trends. For example, free applications have an average conversion rate of 10%, significantly higher than the average 1% conversion rate for paid applications. Games generally have higher conversion rates than other categories of applications, showing up to 100% improvement over non-game applications at similar price points. AdMob notes also that the App Store is an effective distribution platform for free applications. The average acquisition cost for free applications is under $1, (), which is significantly less than average application download costs on the PC web.
AdMob served its first ad unit on an iPhone in September 2007 and launched its new global iPhone ad marketplace, with ads specifically designed for the device, in July 2008. The company says it has seen explosive growth in advertiser interest over the past several months. In December 2008, it ran campaigns for several companies, including JC Penney, Marriott Courtyard, and Sonys Seven Pounds. AdMobs iPhone advertising network has more than 700 sites and applications, including Flixster, Shazam, and Jirbo.
Theres more information on iPhone conversion tracking here.