Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has grown at a rapid rate in the past 12 months, catalysed by the increasing numbers of application stores on the variety of operating systems now available, however even the purchase of mobile content isn’t the only success. In 2009, eBay generated $500m in sales via mobile, and expects to smash that figure in 2010. That was over 1.5 million items, including a $75k Chevrolet Corvette and a £19k boat!
Purchases worth tens of thousands of pounds; in just a simple click via their mobile.
Along with Amazon (who have both an iPhone application and a mobile website), they make up 70% of m-commerce transactions worldwide. All this can be attributed to taking the consideration to prepare and design a dedicated mobile site, rather than optimising the desktop site, in order to leverage the existing web infrastructure, and have a process and user flow that is cohesive between the platforms. Of course this is supported by a seamless payment process and other factors, but the importance of usability should not be underestimated.
But what makes m-commerce such a viable solution and/or extension to current commerce activity? (read more…)
Google appinventor allows the average joe to create their own Android App, without the need for any design or coding skills! As this rather lame but simple example video shows you, the functionality may be limited, but there will be ways of creating and delivering applications that anyone and everyone can use! Just as the Apple application process tightens up, Google open theirs up even more! Great move
There is a lot of excitement surrounding HTML5 right now. As web designers and developers test themselves with what is hotly tipped to completely change the way we digest web content, mobile developers are coming to the realisation that this could be the future of mobile content delivery. In an age when the ‘app’ has dominated, HTML5 has demonstrated it can achieve just as much, if not more, as a native application. When the key message to marketers has been to ensure the broadest target audience can access their content, surely HTML5 is the way to offer this ubiquity?
Not quite.
You see, although HTML5 is demonstrating it can deliver a superb level of design and interactivity, especially with the recent Youtube mobile site, HTML5 relies heavily on the hardware and their respective browsers. You see, HTML5 will not just work on any mobile browser. Go run the HTML5 test on your mobile browser and see what happens. iPhone users using Safari will probably see quite a high score, however should they be using Opera Mini, they will not be pleased with the result.
Once again, this is another example of the mobile industry working at different speeds, and trying to oust each other. If you think developing an HTML5 mobile site is going to resolve the financial issues associated with developing cross platform mobile apps, you are very wrong. HTML5 is, without a shadow of a doubt, going to make the ‘WAP v APP’ argument a helluva lot more complicated, but in the mean time, don’t be blinded by the hype. When browser quality improves across the board, and network speeds and coverage improves, HTML5 will be a genuine consideration. In the mean time, its just a taste of whats to come.
A common theme throughout my personal and professional life this year has been the concept of value exchange. The majority of such cases have been relatively nonchalant incidents, however on occasions, there have been incidents involving value exchange where the balance has been heavily one sided, and is embarrassing for the opposite party (usually myself!).
In fact, I can admit now (and I know one or two people who will pull me up on this) that I have been guilty of not thinking about value exchange before engaging in professional situations. And those people know I am sorry. HOWEVER, asides from learning from my mistakes at a relatively early stage in my career, it has highlighted something which is in fact incredibly relevant to the marketing industry.
The words engagement, conversation, participation and social have been thrown around like some angry Gorillas and their faeces, but what the hell does it all mean?! My personal experiences and understanding always make me return to the concept of value exchange. In order for a citizen to accept and open communication with brands via a platform such as a mobile device, an understanding of the mutual expectations is vital. (read more…)
