A recent study by research firm Zokem found that application and mobile Web usage goes up in the evening and night time, whereas traditional communication services capture more user attention during the day.

For advertisers, this indicates that the most lucrative hours for ads is in the evening, when people are at home after a long day of work. The study also found that applications are actually taking more face time over the course of the whole day than the mobile Web browser.

?In the past, all analytics and mobile advertising has been centered around mobile Web browsing,? said Dr. Hannu Verkasalo, CEO of Zokem, Helsinki, Finland. ?This study provides evidence that people actually spend more time with apps.

?The other key finding is that in the evening time, when people spend lots of face time with their mobile device, is lucrative for advertising," he said. "It seems that apps are particularly strong in terms of the attention and engagement from subscribers."

Targeting ads
There is a great opportunity in understanding how to target ads, when and where to advertise, and to whom, per Zokem. 

Mobile is everywhere and on all the time, so the possible contexts in terms of where to advertise and engage with consumers are numerous.

As there are various ways to deliver ads through mobile devices, choosing the best channel, such as the mobile Web versus an application, the right application category or ad network at the right time of a day have to be decided.

?The implication is that apps should be a key part of a mobile advertising and marketing strategy,? Mr. Verkasalo said. ?The same Web browser-based world that emerged in the PC world is not so strong in mobile, and app stores, in-app advertising and marketing messages delivered through apps are all changing the playground, and emphasizing that there should be an app-based strategy in place.?

Trends uncovered
Voice and messaging dominate day-time mobile usage. However, these communication methods fall towards the night as people communicate less through calls and messaging.

Voice drops quicker than messaging, most likely because it is a more business-oriented service.

Zokem found day-time mobile usage is still higher than evening-time usage for all categories, but interestingly mobile applications and Web browsing are stronger in the evening and night time.

?Our recommendation is to evaluate the touch points with the mobile subscribers, take a holistic view on the user engagement and find the right way through which to efficiently reach the subscriber,? Mr. Verkasalo said.

?For this, a rich 360-degree view on the user behavior is needed, so that the marketer can understand how people really use the smartphone to access content, engage with advertising, read marketing messages and to do business,? he said.

Final take
The mobile Web versus apps debate is an ongoing fight.

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