The easiest way through which free apps make money is by running ads. These ads, as in the case of the iPhone, are served by the iAd network servers, which serve rich media ads. Ads generated by iAd are based on user preferences such as age, location, gender, and other such parameters.
In addition to preferences set in the iAd Network module, metadata provided in iTunes Connect is used to improve the type of ads that are displayed. Ads are based on two key metrics: ad impressions and touches, which help developers and iAd earn revenue. Developers get up to 70% of the revenue from the iAd network.
App ads are engaging and personalized based on the intended audience. However, the frequency of occurrence, as such, can be annoying for your users. The reason for this is that as soon as the user logs into your app, the ads start showing up. Based on users’ interaction with advertisements, iAd generates data algorithms.
The network’s servers then begin to send a series of advertisements to the user, based on this newly collected data. This is like a vicious chain that goes on and on. The result of such frequent advertising bombardment is that the phone quickly loses its battery.
In such a case, even the developers feel powerless as all they can do is integrate the phone with the ad server. Furthermore, they cannot exercise any control over this integration. Also, passing a lot of information about user behavior to ad networks; Multiple calls are made to other ad-based platforms to send the same data and receive targeted ads. All this process significantly leads to draining the phone battery and extracting money from its users.
Solution for developers
Generating ads from such networks weighs heavily on the pocket of developers. Furthermore, the results generated by such a campaign do not represent measurable results or a zero success rate in some cases. As quoted by David Smith, founder and owner of Cross Forward Consulting, “iAd did something no other platform can deliver: a seamless shopping experience. The user never leaves the current app to complete the purchase, so the user experience “It’s about as good as it gets. However, I think Apple found itself guilty of exactly the same problem when it launched iAd Network. However, the ads lack engagement and emotion.”
Developers don’t have a lot of options, in terms of the ad network, running on free apps. They can simply observe their users on how they behave with the ad interaction. Another thing that developers can investigate is the transmission of data to such networks. Some ad networks may reduce calls made to ad servers based on user data preferences. The number of these calls can be limited to prevent the user from being targeted with random advertisements.
Considering the case of Android, the battery consumption seems higher since the applications run in the background for a longer time. Even if apps are closed by the Android operating system, it will only be for a short period of time and will not serve as a permanent solution to battery drain. While Apple’s iOS closes applications for as long as the user wants.
Tips for users
Until the ad networks find a solution; there isn’t much users can do on their part to prevent their batteries from draining. However, users can follow simple precautionary steps to monitor the performance of their apps to address the issue a bit:
- Android users should delete apps that are not in use to avoid wasting battery.
- While using any mobile app, be it Apple, Android or any other, make sure to keep track of how many apps are running on the system and how important they are to you.
- Try to go for paid apps instead of free apps. There will be two advantages of using paid applications: firstly, you will not be attacked with a series of ads, and secondly, this will save the battery of the phone.
- Apple and Android users can turn off GPS on their phone to avoid receiving location-specific ads.
- Android users can even install a power management app that can monitor the operation of various systems on the devices, such as data, GPS, etc., to help save battery life.
In conclusion
The ultimate solution is in the hands of the ad networks and the developers they serve. Hopefully, over time, SDKs will come up with tangible solutions to help users save battery and money.