Mobile Commerce

You may already know there are 5 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Under current trends, mobile phones will surpass PCs as the device most commonly used to access the web. You may be surprised to find out that 200 million people access Facebook through mobile devices. These people are twice as active on Facebook, so it appears that having internet access anytime, anywhere via a mobile device creates twice the engagement.

We popped by the BlackBerry Playbook launch party in New York last week and found that some shopping sites work better (or work at all) on the Playbook vs. Apple's iPad 2, the other hot new spring tablet launch — and it's not just about have-Flash vs. have-not-Flash. On some sites, you can't even see all the merch or go to the next page if you're using one of these devices.

Luxury lifestyle brand Tory Burch has officially relaunched toryburch.com on the Demandware Commerce platform. Combining e-commerce with its editorial content and social media, the new site reflects the style and personality of its CEO and founder, Tory Burch, while enhancing its customers’ online shopping experience.

Brooks Brothers has announced the availability of its mobile optimized website that creates a rich and unique mobile shopping experience for its customers, powered by Digby’s Mobile Software Commerce Platform.

Omaha Steaks announced the launch of its new mobile website. Developed in-house, the new mobile site is designed to make it convenient for users to shop Omaha Steaks from a variety of mobile devices including the iPhone, Droid and BlackBerry operating systems.

When one thinks of the most connected, Foursquare-loving urban hipsters or text-obsessive teens spring to mind. Moms, not so much. But according to Babycenter's 2011 Mobile Mom Report, moms with smartphones like the iPhone spend more time with the mobile web (6.1 hours a day) than the PC-based web (4.1 hours).

Retailers must answer the call to make mobile shopping easier and more engaging or they risk getting disconnected from the majority of mobile device users. While 89.7 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 to 64 have mobile phones, only 49.1 percent are using their phones to shop, according to Arc Worldwide, the marketing services arm of advertising agency Leo Burnett.

Best Buy announced it will be partnering with open wireless broadband network provider LightSquared to enter the wireless industry by becoming a mobile virtual network operator selling mobile broadband access.

For years marketers have cited the success of 2-D barcodes overseas and eagerly waited (and waited) for them to take hold in the U.S. Thanks to prominent endorsements from Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Post Cereals, that day might finally be nearing.

Starting out on mobile can be overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you prepare for your first campaign? These are questions that we hear every day. This is the first in a series of posts on establishing your presence on the mobile web — before you even start your first advertising campaign.