Study finds more iOS users view ads than on Android

Large discrepancies could lead to segmentation in future advertising

When it comes to mobile, iOS and Android are constantly battling for supremacy. Which system has the most users? Which system has the most traffic? But these questions mean next to nothing compared to who wins when it comes to the all-important number: how many people are clicking through advertisements on their devices?

According to a new study by Chikita, users on iOS are far more likely to click through advertisements than those who use Android. 

Users on Android had a click through rate (CTR) of 0.61%, while users on iOS had a CTR of 0.83%, a 33% difference.

Both operating systems saw an increase from a similar study in April, though iOS grew at a much more significant rate.

In April Android had a CTR of 0.60% and iOS had a rate of 0.72%. That is a 10% increase for those using iOS.

The future of mobile advertising

Such a discrepancy between CTR rates in certain systems is already leading to segmentation in how companies are choosing to advertise.

Travel website Orbitz has been showing more expensive hotel options to users on a Mac, because those users spend around 30% more than those on a PC, according to a report in the Washington Post on Tuesday.

Chikita’s real time traffic display, which shows the percentage of operating use by each system in the previous 24 hours, with a six-hour delay, shows that nearly 85% of traffic is done on Windows, while just over 13% is done on a Mac.

Despite the large discrepancy in usage, the Mac users are putting their money where their mouth is, and that is what really matters.

Mobile advertising is growing quickly, with projections that revenue will increase by 118% this year.

A report by Strategy Analytics in April said that advertising revenue on mobile apps in the U.S. will increase by 118% this year, with advertisers and marketers projected to spend is $11.6 billion globally in 2012, nearly double the $6.3 billion spent in 2011.

The real time display shows that iOS and Android have almost exactly the same percentage of smartphone traffic, with each system having roughly 48%, but if iOS users are the ones more likely to view an advertisement, that is where the money will go.

(Image source: mobilize-your-biz.com)