What are smart banners?
Although mobile apps account for the majority of sales on mobile devices, the research stage of the mobile user journey is still conducted primarily on web browsers. This means that in order to have the highest possible conversion, app marketers must bridge the gap between web and mobile apps. This is where smart banners come into play.
What are smart banners?
Smart banners are a pop-up that launches a call to action (CTA) banner as app users browse your mobile website, encouraging them to download your app to continue browsing there. This tool is beneficial to marketers as it seamlessly bridges the web-to-app flow, converting web users to app users who are more likely to make a purchase.
How do smart app banners work?
There are two paths a user can experience with smart app banners.
If the user has previously installed your app, the app will open right where they left off using deep linking. For example, if the user clicks on a pair of blue socks on your mobile website and the smart banner converts them to install your app, the app will open on the same pair of blue socks that they were looking at.
Alternatively, if the user has not previously installed your app, they will be taken to the appropriate app store to download and install the app. In this instance the app will open on the home page, where the user can navigate back to the item they were considering.
iOS vs Android smart app banners
Apple launched the smart app banner for iOS with the release of iOS 6. These smart banners are compatible with Apple’s Safari browser, and offer a smart-recognition CTA. This means that if users had the app downloaded, the smart banner shows an “Open” CTA and the subtext “Open in the [App Name] app”. Otherwise, the smart banner displays a “View” CTA and the subtext “Get – On the App Store”.
iOS smart banners also recognize the user’s geographic location, and will not appear in the user’s browser if the app is unavailable to download in their location. Smart app banners are easy to implement on iOS as they simply require the following code in the head of your mobile website:
<meta name=”apple-itunes-app” content=”app-id=myAppStoreID, app-argument=myURL”>****
Google, however, lags behind Apple on the smart banner front. Android smart app banners are a little more complicated to use with Chrome. Developers must include both the prefer_related_applications and related_applications properties in their web app manifest, and a list of criteria must be met before the smart app banner can be launched for the app user.
Benefits of using smart banners
The primary benefits of using smart banners are:
Lower user acquisition (UA) cost: Unlike traditional paid digital marketing, smart banners are free to implement and will bring users to your app during an organic customer journey.
Higher conversion rate: By creating a frictionless path to the platform of highest mobile revenue, you will naturall see an increase in conversion.
Unobtrusive: Smart banners fit naturally into the customer journey and create a more seamless experience.
Lidl, for example, launched their new app alongside a smart banner to increase customer awareness and drive app conversions. Jet demonstrated the value of smart banners for conversion by driving 33% of its install traffic with a smart banner.
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