Online shopping is a rage today. In fact, online shopping is so popular that the brick-and-mortar stores are almost standing at the verge of extinction. Online shopping websites or e-commerce websites are currently dominating the world of retail. But we must also keep the immense popularity of Smartphones and Tablets in mind. Due to these WIDs (Wireless Internet Devices), it is even easier to buy products and services on the Internet. And this means that a WID user does not have to rely on the traditional desktop-based offerings, as every aspect of e-commerce is already available in the palm of his hands.

Mobile commerce (or m-commerce) was inevitable; its arrival was impending. Recent reports suggest that mobile Internet usage will take over desktop Internet usage by 2015. Standing at the brink of a major shift in paradigm, “going mobile” is nothing but a very smart game plan. If taken a closer look, however, the strategy behind m-commerce is not complex. It is just the transfer of an existing website into wireless device. The target audience of m-commerce is different when compared to e-commerce. But the end goal of both e-commerce and m-commerce is the same – improved ROI via electronic transaction.

Before we start talking about whether m-commerce is really the new frontier for e-commerce or not, let us look at some interesting facts:

• Mobile devices are ubiquitous, and the owners heavily rely on them.
• 1 out of 3 people who receive mobile alerts visit a retail store, and 32% of them make a purchase.
• 43% of all mobile shoppers download a retail app.
• 80% of all mobile owners prefer local advertisements, and 72% of them are more likely to take an action.

Milestones of Mobile Commerce

Let us look at the important milestones of mobile commerce:

• 1973: This year saw the first personal handset. The first portable mobile phone, ‘Motorola Dyna-Tac’, came out.
• 1977: The Bell Telephone Company receives the license for the cellular plan and they collaborate with AT&T.
• 1981: The Western Electric gets the permission to create both terminal and cellular products.
• 1988: The TDMA technology gets discovered, as the CTIA gets established.
• 2002: Mobile broadband comes to the forefront. HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) also emerged.
• 2008: The 3.9G technology, it is a revolutionary step that is the closest to the 4G dream.
• 2011 – After 3 years, we got to see the first glimpse of the 4G technology.

Best Mobile Commerce Strategies

Recent developments suggest that there are 5 strategies that can catapult a mobile commerce campaign:

• Marketing
• Bargaining
• Bargain Hunting
• Mobile Ticketing
• Tangible Goods

Why Is Mobile commerce Better?

It is clear from these facts that m-commerce will really become the face of e-commerce in the coming years. But what makes m-commerce so much better? Let us have a look:

#1. Time Efficient: A user does not have to wait until a desktop or a laptop loads. All he has to do is press the on button of the mobile device and login to an e-commerce website.

#2. Personalization: Unlike a desktop or a laptop, a mobile device belongs to a specific user. This means that a user can do anything without having to worry about compromising important information.

#3. Convenience: Last but not the least, a mobile device is very easy to carry. They are light in weight and small. All a user needs is an Internet connection. This means that a user can shop even when he is on the go.

Mainly due to these reasons, mobile commerce or m-commerce is the future and more importantly, the new frontier for e-commerce.