Microsoft has revealed details of its new Playable Ads format, which will allow Windows 10 users to essentially try out an application before installing them on their device.
Previously, when a user clicked on an advert for an app to download it, they would be taken to the Windows Store page, leaving the current app to purchase it.
Now, a user will be able to use the app as if it’s installed on their device for three minutes and then, if they want to buy it, click on a like to download and install it. It means that not only can people try apps before they commit, to ensure they meet their expectations, but it also provides a much better user experience, as the potential customer will never leave the environment from where they saw the ad.
If users aren’t happy with what they see, they can leave the demo at any time and return to what they were doing.
Research has shown someone is more likely to purchase an app if they can try it free first, Microsoft said. They’re also more likely to use it than those who click through an ad and read the description on the product page.
“And finally, we believe that users acquired via playable ads will have a higher life time value compared with users acquired through the regular channels,” Vikram Bodavula, a product manager at Microsoft said.
Developers who want to test out the new ad format don’t have to do anything when creating their ads, but to create a new ad campaign, they’ll need to choose the “Try Now” call to action, which will automatically transform them into Playable Ads.