The ‘Home Screen’: A Mobile Phones Real Estate

With the increase in sales figures for the iPhone and iPad, as well as other platforms such as Android, it is clear that the mobile ecosystem is a valuable and profitable environment for businesses to target with their products and services. With each generation of device comes a wave of new adopters, sat atop a percentage of repeat buyers, and it is this captive audience which makes mobile advertising a multi billion dollar dollar industry and an attractive prospect for new business.

With so many companies vying for advertising space, the cost of promoting your products and services to the mobile user base is becoming more expensive and prohibitive every day. It’s a wonder then that so many companies overlook the most valuable advertising space available on mobile devices; the users Home Screen.

Valuing Value

So why is this space valuable? Especially compared to in-app advertising? Well it’s quite simple, users will see this space each day, more than any other part of their phone. Every time they go to make a call, every time they go to check their calendar and every time the launch an app, they all go via the home screen. Having your company logo on this screen is valuable to repeated brand awareness, and when you icon is clicked instinctively, as is the case with apps such as Facebook and Twitter, then the brand reinforcement is complete, it becomes natural.

Icons, Icons, Icons

Now obviously to get your brand onto someones device you need an app, in fact you may even need several but the importance of this space should not be overlooked. Whether it is a simple app which is fun to use or a fully-featured solution offering a tie-in with your products and services, it makes little difference. The end result is that your logo, your icon, your brand is shown to users every day and on a frequent basis.

Getting Your Logo There

So now we know the value of this space, how do we actually stick something there? Well obviously you need an app, but you need one that is engaging and has lasting appear. The app turnover on homescreens is fast, however the first page can be seen as the holy grail, much like the first page of Google search results. This is the page where must-keep apps remain and your brand will continue to promote itself long after you have released it. 

Look for an idea which ties in with your business, or sponsor an app which is completely unrelated but of great use to the user or great fun to play with. Ideas spread, and if you create a great app that resides on a single homescreen, chances are it will start to appear on more and more and that is real estate you can’t afford to miss.