Ad tracking reveals iTunes app trends

AdMob has devised a way to perform outside tracking of download numbers at the App Store, according to announcement. The mobile advertiser says it has launched a new Download Tracking initiative, whose primary goal is to monitor the conversion of clicks on ads to app downloads. As a result of early testing for apps like TapDefense and Urbanspoon, however, AdMob says it has already managed to discern general trends in the app industry.

Free apps have so far proven considerably more popular than paid ones, for example, with an average ad conversion rate of 10 percent, next to a slim 1 percent conversion for paid titles. It likewise appears that the App Store is a more effective means of distributing free software, with an average acquisition cost falling under $1. Regular desktop distribution is significantly more expensive, AdMob claims.

A large portion of the people downloading apps based on advertising are also said to be focused on games, figures suggest. Games are said to have higher conversion rates than any other kind of app, as a rule; the disparity can be dramatic however, with as much as a 100 percent difference between apps despite similar pricing.

Filed under: iPod, iPhone, industry
Other story tags: App Store, advertising