47% of mobile app users in the USA say they click on more mobile ads by mistake than they do deliberately, according to new research. The study was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of online advertising company Pontiflex. It suggests almost half of mobile ad spending is wasted.
Younger people are particularly likely to click by accident; 61% of mobile app users aged 18-34 click or tap on mobile ads by accident more often than by intention.
Zephrin Lasker, co-founder and CEO of Pontiflex, said “Clicks aren't an effective way of measuring mobile ad campaigns and these survey findings prove it. First, by taking the user out of the app to a clunky browser, clicks make for a disruptive experience. Second, the fact that most people say they click on ads by mistake more often than they do on purpose is particularly striking. If you are a mobile marketer, why would you run a Cost-Per-Click campaign?”
The Pontiflex survey showed that 95% of mobile app users use free apps and 41% use paid apps.