Mobile UX is crucial and it isn’t difficult to see why. Have you read an article today on your mobile phone? Chances are, you have. In fact, chances are, you’re reading this very article on your mobile phone. In 2015 we hit a critical moment in the tech world: time spent on mobile was 51% higher than time spent on desktop (42%).
What does this mean for publishers? It means that in order to succeed, publishers must focus on their mobile efforts. This point is perhaps obvious to many publishers. However, what isn’t always obvious to publishers is how important Mobile UX is in particular, in order to ensure high engagement rates and achieve high revenues.
In this article, I will explain exactly why mobile and mobile UX is crucial to publishers’ revenues and how publishers can ensure that their mobile sites offer a top-notch user experience.
For publishers, mobile is becoming far more lucrative
Not only do users spend more time on mobile than on desktops, but the time spent on mobile phones tends to be after working hours and during weekends, prime time for advertising. Even more, ad viewability and CTRs tend to be far higher on mobile phones than on desktops.
Advertisers are increasingly recognizing the power of mobile and are often willing to pay higher CPMs for ads on mobile. In short, publishers that want to ensure a secure and lucrative business must have a strong mobile presence.
But, why specifically is UX so crucial for publishers’ revenues?
The importance of mobile UX is obvious to anyone that has spent time searching the web and reading articles on their smartphone. Simple things like being able to easily read a text, quick loading times, and a non-intrusive ad experience can make all the difference in whether a user will come back to a site in the future. High site traffic is dependent on excellent mobile UX.
Further, having a great mobile UX is essential when it comes to monetizing your site. Users that are frustrated with the ad experience of a site are far less likely to click on ads and may choose not to come back to the site in the future. However, publishers that use monetization tools which only show relevant and appealing ads, will find more user engagement with ads and ultimately, far higher CPMs.
Yaniv Rabinovitz, imonomy’s Publisher Relations Team Leader and Monetization Expert, provides some important insights on the shift by publishers towards mobile as well as the importance of mobile UX:
“We’ve seen a big shift recently of publishers moving their focus from desktop to mobile sites. Mobile is a hot and expanding field and users are more open to new advertising products on this platform, but expect UX to be top quality. As a result, publishers are adapting by using more innovative and exciting advertising solutions that focus on UX.
At imonomy we are constantly exploring user behavior to make sure that our in-image advertising products are cutting-edge, high quality, and provide the best user experience possible. This drive to create a great product that focuses on UX for mobile has helped our publishers to see higher CPMs and increased revenues.”
The bottom line? Mobile UX is key for publishers that want to meet their business objectives. Publishers that invest in mobile UX will see a great ROI.
How can publishers ensure excellent mobile UX?
- By using smart monetization tools that work well on mobile. Both in-image and native advertising are opportune for publishers’ mobile sites because they only show ads that are relevant and engaging to users. Users are far less likely to be annoyed by ads if they present products and services that interest them.
- Facebook’s Instant Articles and Google’s AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) are crucial tools for mobile UX. Both of these tools are designed to make site navigation and reading on mobile as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Facebook’s Instant Articles ensures that articles have quicker loading times and interactive features such as high-resolution imagery, auto-play videos, and interactive maps. Similarly, Google’s AMP reduces loading times and allows users to scroll through search results by simply swiping from one article to the next.
The Key Takeaways
- There is a big shift today from desktop to mobile. Publishers that want to thrive must adapt.
- Having top-notch Mobile UX is crucial for publishers because it ensures higher site traffic, more user engagement, and ultimately, higher revenues.
- Publishers can improve their mobile UX by using smart monetization tools as well as Facebook’s Instant Articles and Google’s AMP.
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