Tag: mobile payments

Mobile payments platforms set to clash this year

| March 7, 2013

Mobile Payments ClashMobile payments are becoming more important for consumers

Mobile payments are becoming a very important part of global commerce. More consumers have smartphones now than ever before, and many of these consumers are looking for more efficient and convenient ways to purchase products. Mobile payments are becoming so important to consumers that new mobile commerce platforms spring up on a seemingly daily basis to help consumers purchase products and transfer money using their mobile devices. Some of these platforms have become so popular that they are beginning to clash with one another for dominance in the mobile commerce arena.

Companies hold high hopes for 2013

LevelUp, which recently celebrating reaching 1 million active users, is one such company. Seth Priesbatsch, founder of the mobile payments platform, believes that 2013 will be the year in which a dominant mobile commerce platform will be crowned. LevelUp is not the only company that shares this belief, of course, as Paydiant, another leading mobile commerce platform, also expects 2013 to be a major year for mobile payments. PayPal boasts of the largest share of active users in terms of mobile payments and expects to see more people participating in mobile commerce this year than ever before.

Loyalty programs and marketing may be where true opportunities lie

Though these companies share high hopes for mobile commerce, mobile payments may not actually be the most significant opportunity that exists in the evolving state of commerce. Loyalty and marketing are where the true opportunities lie, according to Paydient. Loyalty programs from major brands offer consumers access to benefits they can receive by, quite literally, showing loyalty to a specific brand. In some cases, these benefits could be steep discounts on favored products, or free products altogether.

Platform that can provide the best of everything mobile commerce has to offer may win with consumers

Though loyalty programs and marketing hold a great deal of promise, most companies are focused on the area of mobile payments. Developing efficient and effective mobile payment services may open up the door for loyalty programs and marketing campaigns to take hold among consumers. The evolving state of commerce suggests that the company that can offer the best of everything will come out on top in terms of consumer engagement.

New report highlights mobile commerce and evolving Internet trends

| March 6, 2013

Mobile Commerce ReportReport sheds light on the evolution of the Internet and mobile commerce

comScore, a leading Internet analytics company, has released the latest edition of its annual report detailing emerging Internet Trends. The 2013 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report sheds light on how the Internet is changing and how these changes are affecting the way it is used by consumers. Notably, the Internet is becoming more mobile, due to the widespread proliferation of smartphones and tablets, as well as the expanding availability of high-speed mobile networks that facilitate a constant connection to the Internet. Mobile commerce is also featured in the new report.

Consumers beginning to favor mobile search

According to comScore, consumer search behavior is changing. General purpose search engine queries declined by 3% from 2011 to 2012, with the number of consumers moving toward vertical search sites and mobile search applications growing. Consumers are becoming more direct with their searches, as well, focusing on things that are more specific to their interests, such as finding restaurants that serve a particular type of food rather than just restaurants in general.

Mobile everything is becoming more important

The report shows that the mobile Internet is becoming more important. Smartphones now outnumber feature phones for the first time in the history of mobile technology. Digital media is beginning to migrate away from favoring desktop computers to catering to the needs of mobile consumers. Online companies are beginning to address the demands of mobile consumers by providing them with mobile commerce services, engaging them in mobile marketing campaigns, and providing them access to new applications that make it easier to find the products and information they are interested in.

Mobile commerce adoption is accelerating

The report highlights the growing interest consumers are showing in mobile commerce as well. The concept of mobile commerce has proven attractive for many because of the convenience it conveys. comScore notes that the adoption of mobile commerce is accelerating and may soon come to dominate the mobile space. The report also suggests that mobile commerce will have a profound impact on traditional brick-and-mortar stores in the future as consumers begin to favor online shopping.