With the rapid changes in digital advertising, publishers and advertisers are now searching for reliability and convenience. Since the advancements in digital advertising are snowballing, different ad formats or types are becoming prominent, especially in the app monetization industry. Interstitial ads are one such type of ad format that has gained popularity among publishers.
In this article, we will discuss interstitial ads and their advantages and disadvantages. Let us first understand the basics.
What Are Interstitial Ads?
You can understand that interstitial advertisements are full-screen ads in any mobile application. These ads appear when the user navigates or transits from one page to another within the app. You can also see these ads when a web page loads.
As these ads cover the entire screen, viewers can skip or watch the full ad. These ads can include videos, text, images, or rich media.
Although some users don't find interstitial ads intrusive, some find these to downgrade the overall user experience. It brings us to the question of whether interstitial advertisements are advantageous.
So let us study the advantages and disadvantages of interstitial ads.
Interstitial Ads-Advantages
It doesn't hamper user retention if used judiciously
Interstitial ads may not degrade user experience if used in appropriate placements. Although the optimum interstitial placement may differ for different apps, a few recommended placements could be - after an activity, after game completion, or before the app exit.
The CPM of Interstitial Ads is Higher Than Others. The cost per mille (CPM) for interstitial ads is higher because of their placements and layout. An advertiser is willing to pay more as the ad viewability and CTRs are high. As it's a full-screen ad, it cannot be ignored and eventually leads to higher conversions and CPM rates.
The Revenue Generation and ROI Are Great
As discussed above, the interstitial ads yield much higher eCPM than other ad formats like a banner or native ad. Hence, the overall revenue and ROI from interstitial ads are also higher.
These Ads Are Very Interesting
As a full-screen ad, advertisers could express their USP freely, and users can resonate with them easily. Hence, the ad creatives - text, video, image, or rich media- are far more exciting and engaging for the users.
The aim is to showcase your product to the user so that they immediately react to the ad without skipping it. You can only do it with the help of new, catchy, and innovative ideas.
Interstitial Advertisements - Disadvantages
The User Experience Is Hindered
Interstitial ads' higher eCPM, engagement, CTR, and revenue come at the cost of user experience. These ads may occur on the screen every time the user transit between screens. It can happen too many times for a single user. The publishers need to keep this in mind and experiment with frequency capping.
Inappropriate Implementation Causes Policy Violation
Usually, to show as many ads to the audience as possible, publishers do not check and keep up with the guidelines of Google. It may lead to critical policy violations and even account suspension. Publishers must keep this in mind, and the ad placements should always be appropriate according to Google's policies.
Best Practices for The Application of Interstitial Ads
Your app should have a good user experience, and your user must enjoy your service. Moreover, it would help if you generated higher revenues with your application. For completing both purposes, here are some best practices to follow while implementing interstitial ads to your app.
- The user experience should always be your priority and should not be taken for granted.
- The frequency of the ads should be appropriate. It should not cause any irritation to the user.
- The ad's opt-out button should be visible to the user. They must not have difficulty clicking and closing the advertisement if they want to.
- Make sure you comply with Google's policies and do not place an ad on every click.
Wrapping Up
Although interstitial advertisements are the best way to generate higher revenues, CPM, and engagement, their proper use and frequency should always be within limits. They engage users more than any other ad format, but not every viewer likes the continuous hindrance in the middle of their task.
Keeping these aspects in mind, you are good to go with interstitial ads as they can be the best source of more significant revenue.