Facebook, Pandora and YP followed behind Google in mobile ad revenue.

In 2013,  Google’s dominance of mobile ad revenue is predicted to continue with an expected 55% of the global-ad revenue share. Facebook and Pandora will also increase their shares to 13% and 2.5%, respectively.

2013 mobile ad revenue share predictions.

For more information on how to incorporate mobile into your marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

More specifically, eMarketer predicts significant growth in the next year for mobile search advertising, a 76% increase, and mobile banners and rich media, a 78% increase. Over the next few years, mobile is expected to account for a larger share of digital ad budgets. In 2011, mobile spend made up only 4.9% of the digital budget, and by 2017 mobile spend is predicted to account for more than half of digital ad spend at 56.4%.

For more information on how to incorporate mobile into your marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

For more information on integrating mobile into your marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

People within the ages of 18-29 are most likely to own a smartphone. In addition, people with an income of $75,000+ across all age groups are also most likely to own a smartphone. The same report also showed that 61% of all American cell phone owners are now smartphone owners and 56% of all American adults are now smartphone owners.

• 56% of cell phone owners say that their phone is a smartphone.
  
• 58% of cell phone owners say that their phone operates on a smartphone platform common to the U.S. market.

Changes in smartphone ownership from 2011-2013.

• 65% of brands said they were increasing mobile spend
• 55% of brands said they were increasing social spend

For the companies who must make the difficult decision between mobile apps and mobile sites, it is important to take into consideration the benefits that mobile websites and mobile apps, individually, hold for a business.

Here is list of the advantages of both mobile websites and mobile apps that will hopefully aid you in developing the best mobile strategy for your company.

Mobile Websites: Advantages

• No Download Required
  • Mobile sites can be accessed via a browser immediately. No download or installation is required for users to access content.
• Simpler Design
  • Mobile websites are designed with simplicity in mind so that it is easy for users to navigate and find information on the mobile site.
• Cheaper to Develop
  • Mobile website creation is 85% less expensive than mobile app development.
• Quicker to Market
  • Not only are mobile websites more cost-effective, they are also more time-effective. It takes considerably less time to develop and market a mobile site than it does a mobile application.
• Easier to Update
  • The content and design of mobile sites can be updated immediately. There is no need to push for updates like there is in mobile apps.
• Compatibility
  • The same mobile site can reach all mobile users, regardless of what type of device they are using. All iPhone, Android and other smartphone users access a single mobile site.
• Reach a Larger Audience
  • Mobile websites allow businesses to reach essentially 100% of their audience. Mobile sites are available to anyone who has Internet access via their mobile devices.
• Search Results
  • Mobile users can easily find a company’s mobile site via search engine results.
• Google Analytics for Mobile
  • Businesses are able to track who is visiting their mobile sites via Google Analytics for Mobile and other mobile analytics programs.
• Opportunities for a Viral Audience
  • It is easy for users to share mobile sites with friends via a link and through social media such as Facebook and Twitter posts

Mobile Apps: Advantages

• Ease of Use
  • It is very easy for users to navigate through and interact with mobile applications.
• Usable Offline
  • Users do not have to be connected to a network or wireless connection to use mobile applications.
• Customizable
  • Once users download a mobile app, they are able to personalize the app based on their preferences and general use of the app.
• Easier to access data about users
  • Marketers are able to access a wide variety of data about mobile users such as demographics, psychographics and geo-location through mobile apps.
• Apps can be integrated with smartphone features
  • Mobile apps can be integrated with smartphone features such as the camera, microphone, geo-location and phonebook.
• Power of the Apple Store
  • Apps are sold through the vast Apple Store.
• Speed
  • Mobile apps run faster than mobile websites.
• “Cool” Factor
  • Mobile apps are one of the most recent innovations in mobile technology. Mobile apps also tend to have “cooler” visuals because mobile apps allow for more innovative graphics and effects.
• Allows you to reach a more affluent audience
  • Mobile apps are generally used by a more affluent audience. According to a study performed by the Shullman Research Center, mobile apps are used by 90 percent of U.S. consumers with a household income of $250,000 or more.
• Complex Calculations 
  • Apps allow you to take data from a user and manipulate it using complex calculations at a quick speed.

When making this decision, it is also important to consider the vertical or industry that your business is competing in. For companies within specific industries, mobile apps often hold an obvious advantage over mobile sites, and vice versa. For example, radio stations would do much better with a mobile app compared to a mobile website because it is much easier and quicker to stream music on an app. On the other hand, restaurants would probably prefer to use a mobile site because it would be much easier for them to update their daily specials and make any menu changes on a site.

For more information on developing your comprehensive mobile marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

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