Max Waterman just wrote a comment about our Ad-powered Download! client beta trial that ended in December 2007:
I’d still like to know what the results of this trial were. The silence is deafening and, frankly, not encouraging.
Apologies Max for the delay. Here’s the wrap-up email that the development team had asked me to share:
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Advertising-Powered Download! client beta trial. In the end, 312 people took the time to complete the online survey and provide us with great guidance to develop this concept further. More than 3 quarters of all participants told us they’d be happy to download advertising-sponsored applications, and the concept overall received a ‘Good’ rating. It was a contentious topic with some participants, however, and it shows that the ability to opt-out of receiving advertisements is important. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most popular type of ads were those that related to the content that was being browsed in Download!, although a relatively big group of respondents didn’t mind what kind of ads were displayed as long as they still received the benefit of more free application downloads. The trial was completed at the end of December and one lucky participant in the UK was awarded the Nokia E65 prize. Thanks again to everyone who took part.
In addition, here are my personal recommendations from the study:
- Relevancy. Two reasons: (1) better user experience, and (2) more money via higher click-through rates.
- Privacy and sense of privacy. Don’t be creepy.
- Don’t inconvenience people. Usability & user experience first.
- Search advertising or permission advertising over interruption advertising.
Hereby, I announce the beta pilot (and feedback competition) of ad-powered Download! Client to be officially over.
The Download! team will now arrange a draw, and contact personally the lucky winner of the shiny new Nokia E65. If you wasn’t the one, better luck next time. Heh.
After Christmas holidays, we will share the key takeaways from your feedback, and I hope we’ll have an interesting debate about it…
Here’s some good thinking by Simon Judge about Nokia Content Discoverer, and about our advertising-powered Download! Client under beta.
I agree, there must be ways to use Catalogs/Download! more effectively.
Your thoughts? (of course, UK people might want to submit their thoughts here instead, to win a Nokia E65)
We just got the (first beta version of) Advertising powered Download! client for S60 ready. So now, my UK friends, please give us feedback, and win a Nokia E65!!
Compatibility: Available in United Kingdom only. Nokia 5700, 6110, 6120, 6121, 6290, E51, N76, N81, N95.
Download here.
I’m sure you have tried the built-in Download! Client (or “Catalogs”) on your phone. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s the Nokia application that enables you to buy apps and content directly from your phone. Right now, we are experimenting with an advertising-supported business model, and thinking about how to include advertising to the Download! Client. In the best case, everyone would win: more discounted/free applications for you, a good targeted-advertising channel for the advertisers, and more money for the developers and our beloved shareholders.
Please help us figure out the right concept!!
We just launched the first beta version of advertising-powered Download! client under Beta Labs. The focus of this initial pilot is the UK, and the advertising links will not work yet in other countries. To encourage you to send feedback, we arranged a little competition: UK people are eligible for a prize draw to win a beautiful new Nokia E65. Yay!!! Of course, non-UK people are welcome to send their comments too - we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Compatibility:
- Download! Java application: available now for Nokia 6300, 5610, 5310, 7900, 6500 Classic, 6500 Slide.
- Download! for S60 3rd Edition: coming very soon.
Download here. Go and play around with it, and give your feedback and enter the competition
Deadline for the competition = 20 December 2007.
