The world of mobile apps has exploded over the past year.  With the Apple App Store now hosting over 100,000 applications across 21 categories, which have been downloaded more then 2 billion times, it is a vertical that has become top of mind both from a client understanding and an agency offering.  Every agency, both digital and traditional is looking at ways to design their first app, and because of this, the clients interest is not always top priority.

Along with branded apps, another vertical in the mobile category that has seen great success is mobile display and search marketing.  In September, AdMob a display advertising service that acts like Google AdSense for banners served up 10.2 billion ad requests across 15,000 mobile Web sites and apps. About 28 percent of those were from iPhones and iPod Touches, with Android growing fast, making up another 7 percent. And if you look at only smartphones, Apple devices accounted for 48 percent of ad requests, with Android coming in second at 17 percent. (Techcrunch)

These metrics are no joke and are only increasing as more smart phone OS systems, such as Android and RIM continue to grow their own app database.  Google is taking this market very seriously, even going as far as to purchase AdMob for $750 million last week.

With so much activity around mobile apps, having a little insight on consumer actions can definitely go along was when it comes time to launch you own app or consider mobile advertising.  This past August, AdMob released a new study on iPhone and Android App Discovery and Usage that really highlighted some key user metrics.

Highlights from the study:

1. 90% of app discovery takes place on a phone.
2. iPhone and Android users are spending an average 80-90 minutes a day using apps.
   • iPod Touch users are using apps for more than an hour
3. iPhone and Android users are downloading about 10 apps a month and iPod Touch owners are downloading 18 apps a month.
   • iPhone users buy the most apps, averaging 2.6 per month.
   • iPod Touch owners average 2 paid apps per month.
   • Android is roughly 1 paid app per month.
4. Free to paid upgrading is the most significant driver of paid app purchases.
   • Make a Lite version of your application. Over this past year results have shown that Lite versions drive paid downloads.