Category: Tablet Commerce

The difference mobile has made to the marketing industry

The last year has made it especially clear that mobile is not a fad but a revolution in marketing

With the rapidly increasing penetration of smartphones and tablet computers, mobile has changed the way that people conduct their daily lives.

It starts with their alarms in tMobile Marketinghe morning to the maintenance of their work and school schedules, topic research, communications – verbal, text, email, social networking, etc. – and even their shopping. Companies and brands of all sizes have not failed to recognize this important trend, and are now seeking ways to embrace this technology so that they can take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that it has to offer.

Google has been a central organization in the efforts to go mobile (GoMo) for many companies.

It is continually presenting an increasing wealth of information and resources so that companies of all sizes can understand what they need to do to become a part of the mobile web, and begin spending their advertising dollars there. This is, after all, how the search engine giant makes a significant amount of its income. Therefore, the better informed and equipped the business world can be in going mobile and marketing there, the more everyone will benefit over the long term.

There are, according to Google, five primary questions that every business should ask itself.

This questions were whittled down from the broader concepts that make up the mobile marketing world and are the heart of any strategy or campaign that can be successfully run using that channel. They are the following:

• How will the value proposition be changed by mobile? This includes how the mobile customer will be served by the company, the way in which local consumers can be targeted, and the challenge relating to price transparency.

• How will the company’s digital consumer resources be changed by mobile? For example, the mobile optimization of the website, or the development of an app.

• Is the company actually embracing mobile technology in a way that is meaningful and accountable, both to operations and the consumer?

• How should mobile marketing be adopted by the company? This includes multi-channel marketing, a mobile search strategy, and using this technology for building the brand.

• How can the tablet consumer be specifically addressed? This includes the specific needs of tablet users and how they are different from smartphone owners, and the implementation of tablet commerce strategies.

FloJack from Flomio seeks support through crowd funding

FloJack campaign launched to bring NFC to iOS platform

Flomio, an ambitious NFC-based mobile commerce startup, is looking to bring NFC technology to the iOS platform. Apple caught a lot of flak for shunning NFC technology with the latest edition of the iPhone, and the company has been adamant in its position that NFC technology is not yet ready for its plans for mobile commerce. That means that, for the time being, iPhone users will largely be left out of any mobile commerce initiative or service that emerges within the next few years until Apple decides on a suitable alternative to the technology. Flomio is hoping to solve that problem with FloJack.

FloJack seeks to be funded through Kickstarter

The startup has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its FloJack device. Kickstarter is a crowd funding platform that has been remarkably successful for ambitious projects. The FloJack device is designed to connect to any iOS device and give that device NFC capabilities. The FloJack is equipped with an NFC chip that can enable an iOS device to conduct mobile transactions, engage in NFC-based marketing campaigns, or facilitate wireless data sharing.

FloJack not likely the ultimate NFC solution for iOS

The FloJack campaign was launched late last week through Kickstarter. Flomio is looking to raise $80,000 in funding for the project. The developers are well aware that the FloJack will not have an indefinite lifespan, especially as Apple works to find an alternative to NFC technology. Flomio co-founder Tim Ronan notes that the FloJack is meant to get iOS fans prepared for the day when NFC technology, or something very similar, makes its way to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

Similar devices aim to expand mobile commerce accessibility

FloJack is not the first of its kind. The UK’s Square has a similar device that is designed to allow consumers without NFC-enabled devices to conduct mobile transactions. These devices are addressing an issue that currently exists in the mobile commerce industry. That issue is the lack of NFC-enabled devices. Without these devices, consumers cannot participate in mobile commerce in an effective manner.