If you own a website or develop a mobile app, you’re probably looking for a good way to monetize it or at least pay the hosting fees.
Interstitial advertising is an evolution of the outdated “pop-up” ad, taking up large amounts of screen space while providing a more positive user experience.
The Definition of an Interstitial Ad
An interstitial advertisement is an interactive, rich media, full-screen ad. They’re popular for mobile devices and usually appear between content on the site, serving as a transition or natural break between different pieces of content.
For example, they may appear between articles on a blog or between levels in a mobile game.
They can take the form of videos, text, images, and other formats. Users will need to interact with the ad somehow, typically by clicking a close button or clicking away from the ad to proceed to the next piece of content, thereby avoiding ‘banner blindness.’
Why Use an Interstitial Ad?
There are many reasons to use interstitial ads.
One is that they leave a big impression on users. Interstitial ads take up much of the available screen space and force the user to interact with them, making them more impactful.
Interstitial ads can also boost click-through rates and conversion rates, another reason someone may use them.
What Do Interstitial Ads Offer?
Interstitial ads are popular because they offer some of the highest click-through and conversion rates of mobile ads today, leading to greater monetization. They also provide significant flexibility. You can use them on websites or mobile apps and make use of many different media types, such as pictures or videos.
What Are the Rules?
As an evolution of pop-up ads, interstitial ads may annoy some people. Google and other search engines have begun penalizing websites with some interstitial ads in search results, so following their advertising rules is essential.
Google disallows the following types of interstitial ads:
Load or exit. Ads should not appear immediately upon opening a website or app or before the website or app closes.
Repeated or recurring. You should not bombard people with ads. They should not be triggered with every click or immediately after the last interstitial was closed since this can lead to excessive accidental clicks.
Unexpected. Ads should not appear unexpectedly when the user is focused on a task like reading content or playing a game. They should appear at natural points, such as between articles or levels of a game.
Non-advertising interstitials, such as those asking for permission to use cookies or to verify user age, may be legally required and are exempt from these rules.
Best Practices for Interstitial Ads
If you want to use interstitial ads on your site, follow these practices.
Minimize impact on the user experience. Your ads should not hurt the user’s experience on the site or app or break its flow. Instead, they should feel like a natural part of the site or app and complement the flow or use of the site. For example, ads halfway through an article hurt the experience, while ads placed between articles feel more natural.
Think about timing and frequency. Keep the advertising noticeable but not overbearing. If you bombard people with advertisements, they’ll stop using your site or app.
Have a dedicated landing page. Your ads should encourage people to click the ad. When they do, direct them to a landing page you’ve set up to provide more information and promote conversion.
How to Use Interstitial Ads
You should use interstitial ads in much the same way as other ads. Promote products or offers by enticing people to click on the ad and direct them to a landing page that encourages them to convert.
For maximum impact, take advantage of the size of interstitial ads with large, high-quality images or videos. You can even make “playable” ads that let someone test a game or other app before encouraging them to download it.
Best Interstitial Ad Networks
Consider these networks and exchanges if interstitial advertising is right for you.
AdMob
AdMob is a Google service designed with mobile app developers in mind. It offers multiple ad formats, including interstitials, banner ads, video ads, and native ads, giving you many ways to monetize your app. It also has powerful analytics and automated tools to make managing your ads easier.
AppLovin
AppLovin is one of the top mobile advertising networks for in-app ads. Like AdMob, it supports many types of ads, including interstitials. It also provides features like A/B testing, audience optimization, and performance tracking. AppLovin supports multiple mediation networks, including Android, iOS, and Unity.
ExoClick
ExoClick is a unique interstitial ad network offering a 100% fill rate, meaning you’re always guaranteed an ad to show to your users. It focuses on both web and mobile developers, which can be helpful if you want to advertise across multiple platforms.
Final Word
Interstitial ads are mobile-focused, highly impactful ads that offer high conversion rates. If you’re a mobile developer or have a mobile-focused website, consider using interstitial ads to monetize your work.
