MoFuse

Oh yes- it matters very much.

It’s happening before our eyes, the mobile web is growing up.  Exactly one week ago Google announced that it was acquiring mobile advertising industry leader, AdMob.

What does this mean?

The mobile web really is (as we’ve said 100 times before) a separate and important digital medium that you can no longer ignore. Google knows that mobile devices represent the largest penetration of any technology on the planet.   There are about 1 Billion desktop computers in the world and nearly 1 Billion Automobiles, but there are 4 Billion mobile devices!  With all of that reach (and attention) somebody will make money monetizing the mobile real estate that is accessed on all of those devices. The growth of the mobile web is just beginning.

We will look back on this event as a defining moment for the industry.  

This strategic acquisition by Google sends a strong signal that the mobile web is ready for prime time.    It signals that Google understands that traffic on the mobile web will no longer be guided by the carrier's initial landing page ('on deck' as it is termed in the industry).  Google has seen a 5X mobile search growth over the past 2 years.  Usage patterns of the mobile web have evolved significantly and are proof that people will seach, find destinations and link to mobile web pages directly- the same behaviors as the desktop web.  This movement 'off deck', away from the carriers 'guiding' you to the sports, news, weather  or any sites THEY want you to see, is a key change.   With more eyeballs, going to more mobile sites on their own -   more publishers will be able to make money on mobile advertising. 

AdMob is a leader in mobile advertising and supplies superior services for serving mobile ads and equally as important, for reporting on mobile web analytics.  Ad analytics give you insight into your mobile web readers or visitors, and include data such as: how many clicked, what kind of device were they using, what carrier, where were they on the globe when they responded, etc.   Serving ads to mobile devices is more complex than on the desktop web.  There are a relative handful of device types and web browsers on the desktop, but for mobile there are nearly 5,000 different devices worldwide.

Google’s acquisition of AdMob clears up the question- Is Mobile A Separate Channel?– it is. 

They acquired this mobile ad leader so they can "bring new innovation and competition to mobile advertising, and will lead to more effective tools for creating, serving, and analyzing emerging mobile ads formats."    They see it as a new channel and you should too.

What Does This Mean To You?

Often people ask us – why can’t I just use the ads that are being served on my desktop website, or why won't my ads from the desktop show up on mobile?  Mobile is a separate channel and there is a distinct audience with a specific demographic profile that you will want to understand and address.   Why only get ad revenue from your desktop site when you can also design and host a mobile website that will give you advertising revenue for a new class of customers – your mobile audience.

It is time to make your site mobile and discover the newest channel for reaching a global audience - ready to experience mobile ads!