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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Google Fixes the Fat Finger Problem With Mobile Ads

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...


Google just offered up a solution to one of the bigger complaints with mobile ads -- the fat finger problem.

The search giant implemented a new feature Thursday called "confirmed clicks" for all in-app banner ads on smartphones in an effort to crack down on the number of accidental clicks on mobile.



Starting today, when users tap on the outer edge of one of these mobile ads, a tab will appear at the bottom

of the screen prompting them to "Visit Site." Users will need to tap on this tab to verify that they do want to be re-directed to a new site by the ad.
"We find that most accidental clicks on in-app image ads happen at the outer edge of the ad unit, likely when you’re trying to click or scroll to nearby content," Allen Huang, Google's product manager for mobile display ads, wrote in a blog post announcing the change. "Now if you click on the outer border of the ad, we’ll prompt you to verify that you actually meant to click on the ad to learn more."


Many analysts and advertisers have suggested that mobile click-through rates are exaggerated by the fact that smartphone screens are smaller and therefore make it more likely users will accidentally tap on an ad. By implementing a kind of two-step verification process for mobile ads, Google may be able to improve the user experience and alleviate the concerns of advertisers.

"As devices continue to converge there will be new challenges in the fight against what many have called the ‘fat finger’ problem," Huang wrote. "But implementing confirmed clicks is an important step that we think will benefit users, advertisers, publishers, and the mobile ecosystem overall, and we’ll continue to look for ways to improve mobile ads for everyone."
Image courtesy of Google; thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, BuzzFarmers.

Source- http://mashable.com/2012/12/13/google-improves-ads/


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