In this edition of Mobile Monday, we’ll take a look at why latency was one of the top concerns for publishers at the recent Digiday Publishing Summit as well as how Starbucks is looking to solve a different type of mobile latency in its stores.
Latency Woes
Last week, Digiday held its latest Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, where over 200 executives from top publishers discussed their greatest challenges. At the center of the mind map released by Digiday was one interesting concern: latency. In fact, 20% of publishers cited latency as a major issue facing their revenue potential.
So why is this? Many publishers operate in feed-based environments where users are quickly scrolling through content. If an advertisement doesn’t load instantly, the user will miss it, and the publisher won’t get paid. In the words of one attendee:
“Latency is a huge problem because it’s stuff we’re not able to monetize. People have scrolled by at that point and we don’t get paid.”
Of course, these issues are typically not in the publisher’s control to fix. Latency and slow-loading ads are often hurdles solved by or in collaboration with the advertising partner. To that end, the fact that solutions still exist that can’t load instantly, reliably, and in crystal-clear buffer-free HD is a bit concerning.
After all, such solutions hinder revenue potential and are a detriment to the user experience. Indeed, as another attendee noted, when “people are watching the in the app and it takes forever for the ad to load, we hear about it.” From an advertiser’s perspective, that attendee went on to note:
“People who spend millions of dollars making content want to know that it’s running smoothly.”
App-Only Lattes
While some publishers are trying to resolve in-app ad latency, Starbucks is seeking to solve its in-store latency caused by in-app purchases. While its mobile ordering app has proven rather popular, it has also come with hurdles: stores attempting to serve both in-app and in-store orders at the same time often face mid-afternoon bottlenecks.
To assess how to better serve its mobile customers, Starbucks’ headquarters will soon have a test cafe that only serves mobile orders. With the staff focused solely on the mobile transaction process, the quick service coffee giant may be able to find a process solution that better caters to consumers’ mobile behaviors in the future.
When it does, expect other chains investing in mobile ordering to follow suit.
About AdColony Mobile Mondays
Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday? Tweet it to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.
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