We currently use Adsense to help monetize our mobile site because a large portion of our traffic comes from Android devices and we wanted to test how the service performs. When creating a mobile ad unit, Google allows the publisher to specify which type of device the ad will target. Users can pick all phones or limit it to only “iPhone and other high-end devices (like Android)”.

Most of the carriers now advertise on our site because we fit their target markets. A keen reader spotted a Sprint ad on our site and clicked through to see what happened.

Flash is not supported by your browser.

The mobile ad unit sent the visitor to this Sprint page which is 100% Flash. Most Android phones do not support Flash so they get the infamous need-plugin-lego-block. Adobe will be releasing Flash 10.1 soon, but first-gen phones will not support it.

What have been your experiences with mobile ad units? Do you see advertisers taking advantage of the mobile web to its full extent? Are the ads relevant? Do you use AdBlock and could care less?

The joys of Flash.

iVdopia is a mobile advertising platform which debuted on the iPhone 3G in March of 2009. Their iPhone offerings include pre-app videos, in-app banner ads, and just last month they introduced “Talk2Me” ads. Check the link to see what one of the Talk2Me ads looks like; but basically they are pre-app videos with a screen tacked on at the end giving the user a variety of options for sharing the video, interacting with the advertiser or finding out more about the product.

With the release of their Android SDK this week all of these services can now be incorporated into Android apps.

“Since iVdopia unveiled its Pre-App advertising videos in March 2009 in the U.S., which included the first offering of sponsorship to the iPhone, the company has consistently broken new ground. With the Android, iVdopia builds on its reputation for responsiveness and innovation by providing the most engaging and effective means of reaching customers on even more mobile devices.”Chhavi UpadhyayChief Operating Officer at iVdopia

iVdopia claims that they have seen a “500% growth in year-on-year growth in revenue” in mobile advertising and that their pre-app video ads “generated as much as 300 percent higher click-through rates (CTR) than the average CTR for online video.” Music to the ears of potential advertisers and Android app developers looking to make some additional income from their paid apps or to make some actual income from their free apps.

I’ve watched their sample pre-app videos and Talk2Me ads and assuming you don’t actually interact with them, they take between 10-15 seconds before you get into your app.

I have a number of apps right now that use banner ads and every once in awhile I’ll click on something just to throw the developer a little cash, but for the most part I completely ignore them. Between AdBlock Plus for the web and my DVR for TV, I’m pretty accustomed to being free from or at least flying by ads as I see fit. Clearly that wouldn’t be as easy with these video ads, you are going to be forced sit through them every time you fire up the app.

So my question is what is that worth to you? If some of the current $4.99 apps were to become free based on their use of these ads would that be acceptable to you or would having to wait 10-15 seconds to get into your app be more than you are willing to tolerate?

While using Google Maps today to locate a place to eat, Taylor noticed some new in-map advertisements from Taco Bell. We’ve never seen this type of ad before so we can only assume the changes came with the most recent update to Google Maps.

Check out the gallery below to see the ads in action. What do you guys think? Are these suggested destination ads likely to send you running for the border?

PS: That last screen is the destination URL (aka the Taco Bell mobile site), not some in-map pop-up. And while we like to tease Taco Bell we’ve enjoyed many a late-night burrito feasts at the fine establishment.

Businesses can now distribute coupons to mobile phones.

Any business can now sign up for free with Google’s Local Business Center and target their coupons directly to mobile phones. Now even when customers are on the go, they can find all the great values and offers available from local businesses.

This is easily one of the coolest things I have seen from Google and I think their mobile strategy is beginning to come into focus. Location based, mobile advertising is the future of Google and Android is a key part of their game plan. Most of these mobile services can operate just find on other smartphones, but Google will set the standard for their implementation with Android phones.

If anyone could ever monetize a free mobile phone service, it has to be Google. Those Google Phone rumors are beginning to get very interesting.

From the Google Mobile Blog:

So just in time for the holidays, we’ve made it easier to find discounts when you’re on the go. If a business adds a mobile coupon to its Google Local Business Center listing, you’ll be able to access it from your mobile device. Just go to google.com on your phone and search for a local business. When you land on its Place Page, you’ll see any coupons or discounts that might be available. Then simply show the participating business the coupon, right from your phone, to redeem the offer.