Written by Stephen Vagus

Author: Stephen

Mobile commerce may have a bright future

Stephen | March 27, 2013

Mobile commerce is picking up momentum

Mobile commerce is growing rapidly and that growth does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. The current state of mobile commerce suggests a bright future, largely due to the proliferation of mobile technology and the perceived convenience of mobile payments. Indeed, mobile devices are beginning to become more popular than PCs. According to a study conducted by the International Telecommunications Union, as of August 2012, more than 7 billion mobile devices were operating all over the world, exceeding the number of active PCs by three times.

Mobile sales to reach new heights in near future

A recent study from Abi Research suggests that mobile commerce will reach $119 billion by 2015. This is roughly 8% of the current e-commerce market. E-commerce is still considered to be a powerful force, especially in the retail industry, but mobile commerce is benefiting from increased exposure and a growing number of retailers interested in engaging mobile consumers in a new form of commerce. Another study by Forrester Research suggests that mobile commerce in the U.S., in particular, will reach $31 billion by 2016.

US mobile commerce experiences aggressive growth

In the U.S., mobile commerce is experiencing a magnanimous rise to fame. More consumers are beginning to become comfortable with the concept of mobile payments, making them more likely to purchase goods and services using their smartphones or tablets. Mobile traffic to websites is on the rise, powered by growing interests in the realm of mobile marketing. Location-based services are also playing a role in encouraging consumers to participate in mobile commerce as they are able to find stores and attractions more easily, especially while traveling.

Security may derail bright future

While the current state of mobile commerce does paint a bright future, the future is, of course, unknowable. There are many challenges that face mobile commerce that could derail the burgeoning industry’s future. The most significant of these challenges, currently, is security. Without adequate security, a consumer’s financial information is at risk of theft and exploitation. The security dangers inherent in mobile commerce have kept many consumers from conducting mobile payments.

Screen resolution may have a huge affect on mobile games monetization

Stephen | March 25, 2013

High resolution devices may be the key to successful mobile games

Mobile games have become something of a phenomenon in the game industry. These games have proven to be rampantly popular with consumers, many of whom are more than willing to participate in in-game advertising and mobile purchases. As such, the mobile games market is considered to be significantly lucrative and home to very promising opportunities for developers. These developers do, of course, have to find ways to encourage consumers to make in-app purchases. A new study from mobile games studio Pocket Gems suggests that this may be a matter of quality in mobile technology rather than mobile games themselves.

Study suggests screen quality influences in-app purchases

The study from Pocket Gems suggests that the quality of a mobile devices screen directly influences whether consumers will make an in-app purchase. Consumers that play mobile games on better quality screens, such as those typically found on tablet devices, are more likely to make in-app purchases than those that play games on lower quality screens. Pocket Gems notes that Android users with high resolution mobile devices are up to 10 times more likely to purchase in-game items or virtual currencies.

Popularity of high resolution devices may be a sign of disposable income

This may be because many consumers consider high resolution screens to be synonymous with processing power for mobile devices, which may lead consumers to believe that some mobile games are better than they actually are. Consumers that have a high opinion of a game or its developer typically tend to support that game or developer more strongly. Pocket Gems notes that consumers with high resolution devices are more likely to have disposable incomes as well, which makes them more likely to conduct in-app purchases.

Android shows greatest potential for mobile games monetization

The study suggests that mobile games developers looking to find major success in the game industry may do well to tailor their games for high resolution devices. The study shows that the correlation between screen resolution and monetization is the highest in Android tablets. Conversely, the study shows that the iPad has no correlation between resolution and monetization whatsoever.