Asians top in in-app purchases: Report

A recent survey by mobile marketing analytics company AppsFlyer had revealed that in-app purchasing was big in Asia - Asians spent 40 per cent more on in-app purchases as compared to rest of the world, considering all app categories were taken into account.

The survey further revealed that North Americans came out on top when it came to spending high amounts on shopping apps. Futhermore, iOS users spent almost 2.5 times as much as Android users ie $1.08 against $0.43, when it came to monthly in-app purchases per user, per app.

The findings of the AppsFlyer State of In-App Spending report showed that Indian iOS users spent almost 5.5 times more than Android users ie. $1.12 against $0.20.

AppFlyer's VP of marketing Ran Avrahamy told Business Standard, the in-app purchases continued to be a opportunity for app publishers. ''While only a small portion of users actually spend money on in-app purchases, developers and marketers can capitalise by ensuring they always offer an optimal in-app experience, and by constantly measuring and optimising their activities to build a strong base of loyal users,'' he said.

App marketers, developers and brands had a lot to gain pitching their offerings in eastern markets like China and India which are leading the smartphone penetration, advanced markets like Japan and Korea demanding better products, and markets emerging in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

"Gaming, travel and e-commerce are driving growth in the mobile ecosystem in Asia. It is no more a question of whether people will go mobile, it is about when those who have missed the bus will catch up," said Sanjay Trisal, country manager, apps Flyer, The Times of India reported.

Asia was the global leader in in-app spending and people in the region were comfortable using an app for anything, including payments, according to the report. The report added marketers could hope to reap higher payouts from users along with lower costs compared to Europe or US in the region.