The Web service company AOL Germany released very interesting findings in their current study “MobileAds” about the use and effects of mobile advertising.

The results show an increasing acceptance of mobile web use and efficient effects of mobile ads. In a random sample 684 AOL customers answered questions about their mobile internet usage.

More than 50 per cent (53%) of the interrogated mobile phone customers have already visited the mobile web. One third of the total sample has already experiences with several visits but the rates of use vary: 25% of mobile online users surf the internet several times a week, 7% goes on the mobile web about 1-5 times per month. Whereas 9% use the mobile internet once in three months and 59% very rarely visit mobile web. Nevertheless the author signifies this target group as so-called heavy mobile internet users. Demographics skew higher for young male users with good education.

Also the estimation of the function of mobile internet usage was very interesting. One third uses the mobile internet for information search and 14% visits mobile websites for entertainment or just for browse. Mobile advertisements were perceived by 42% of the regular mobile web users and about 75% of these recipients were activly showing interest for more information by clicking on the mobile ads (60%) or searching for information on the stationary PC’s internet a little later (16%).

Surprisingly mobile web users prefer text links as type of mobile advertising. Funny advertisements just for amusement, e. g. mobile video clips, and mobile TV spots are rejected by more than 50% of the respondents. Therefore I am sure it’s simply a matter of time (and of rates) before animated pictures or movies will be well accepted.

The results of the study “MobileAds” are free to download. I’m sorry to say that the file is only available in German language.