| Do you even know what M-Commerce is?Well you | | | | the SPAM filter problem and guaranteeing they |
| better learn fast. Predictions in Europe for | | | | receive your valuable content. You could sell |
| M-Commerce, the second largest market behind | | | | it as valuable service for your customers |
| Asia, are for a spend of €7.4 Billion in | | | | with added content not available on your site |
| 2006 that's over $8 Billion. That's twice the | | | | or via your regular newsletter.Or offer them |
| predicted spend of traditional web | | | | up to the minute breaking news in their |
| services!So what is M-Commerce?It's very | | | | industry, which they receive as it breaks and |
| simple, mobile / cell phone based sales. | | | | not when they check their email five hours |
| Usually relating to content such as games, | | | | later when it's to late to take |
| wallpaper, ringtones etc. But there's much | | | | action.Digital artists sell your wallpaper |
| more to it than that. Keep reading.What's the | | | | designs direct to the consumer via the mobile |
| big deal?More people own a mobile phone than | | | | phone. New bands forget the record company |
| a PC, they're better integrated in to daily | | | | contract sell your music via MP3's direct to |
| life. People are very comfortable using them. | | | | the consumer. Investment advisors get |
| They are now in fact heavily relied upon, as | | | | subscribers to your 'Hot Tips' bulletins. |
| the phone feature is only a small part of | | | | Store owners offer a sale bulletin service |
| what can be perceived as a miniature | | | | etc etcThe FutureThe omnipresent Google are |
| multi-purpose multi-capable portable | | | | moving forward with major mobile initiatives. |
| computer.Mobile GrowthMobile growth already | | | | Spending vast amounts of money to stake a |
| outstrips all other communication channels. | | | | claim in this fledgling market. There's the |
| Half of all Americans are mobile phone | | | | mobile version of Froogle for one and they've |
| subscribers. In the UK the ownership of a | | | | also developed mobile business listings |
| mobile phone is equivalent to 1.5 phones per | | | | specifically for the potentially huge 'local |
| head of population. According to research, | | | | search' market. They also offer a free SMS |
| mobile content services will be worth $121 | | | | based information service and major company |
| Billion worldwide by 2008. White label | | | | Real Networks, creators of Real media Player, |
| distribution of ringtones, images, games and | | | | recently bought Finnish mobile phone game |
| other promotions will drive up to 1/5th of | | | | developers Mr Goodliving for $15M. |
| the revenue generated. It's estimated 1.5 | | | | Essentially buying a back catalogue of high |
| Billion people worldwide own a mobile | | | | profile mobile games.NTL a cable TV company |
| phone.With more and more technology add-ons | | | | here in the UK recently streamed the Grand |
| to tempt the consumer these devices are now | | | | National, the biggest race horse meet here in |
| Cameras, MP3 players, game consoles, voice | | | | the UK, live to Nokia owning subscribers.This |
| notepads, picture albums, diary organiser, | | | | is early days and that's a small glimpse of |
| PDF readers etc etc.In fact I'm writing this | | | | the future.The M-Commerce Market is very |
| article on my PDA / Phone whilst sat in the | | | | different from the online market in terms of |
| sunshine in the garden. With two taps on the | | | | what content consumers are currently paying |
| screen I can hook up to my home wireless | | | | for. The biggest revenue generators online, |
| network and check my emails, browse the net, | | | | 70%, are porn and dating sites. A similar |
| update my Blog or edit and publish article | | | | percentage via mobile is for games, music and |
| submissions on one of my sites all via | | | | video. Films, that's another one, Nokia are |
| broadband.We are not that far away from | | | | now distributing Hollywood movies via memory |
| always on Net connections. Once this arrives | | | | card!The technology specifically 3G, an |
| it will allow anyone to do this almost | | | | always on network with transfer rates of |
| wherever they are. Certainly in the major | | | | 384kbs a second, is here and trickling into |
| cities around the world. When this happens | | | | mainstream culture. These devices are in fact |
| there will be a third Internet boom as Joe | | | | capable of 1920kbs. Compare that to GPRS at |
| public try's out the Net connection again | | | | 56kbs. You don't need these speeds to take |
| that was always too shoddy to use in the | | | | advantage of this market but you should keep |
| past.And what will they want? Content! | | | | them in mind to realise the full potential of |
| ringtones, wallpaper, games, MP3's etcBut I'm | | | | where mobile communication is going.Here's a |
| getting ahead of myself. The real money isn't | | | | brief, eye opening, wish list from consumers |
| even going to be made via a Net sale. The | | | | for future mobile phone payment abilities:-10 |
| real money will be made via SMS(Short Message | | | | Use your mobile as a key |
| Service), MMS(Multimedia Messaging System) | | | | |
| and this ones a goldmine...Micro | | | | 9 Marketing communications |
| payments.Recent research has shown a doubling | | | | |
| of worldwide revenue from streaming TV and | | | | 8 Retail checkout payments |
| sports bulletin subscriptions. 380 million | | | | |
| people worldwide are expected to subscribe to | | | | 7 Vending machine payments |
| similar services in 2005. Including TV show | | | | |
| bulletins particularly from 'reality TV' | | | | 6 Flight check in |
| shows, News bulletins or Soap updates.Big | | | | |
| deal you're not a TV network how can you make | | | | 5 Credit / debit cards |
| some money out of this boom? | | | | |
| | | | 4 Season tickets |
| I'll go into that in a second but first I | | | | |
| want to go back to those Micro payments I | | | | 3 Loyalty cards |
| mentioned earlier. The real gold dust.Micro | | | | |
| Payment ProfitsMicro payments have been | | | | 2 Parking Meter payments |
| around for a while here in the UK. A smaller | | | | |
| land mass has allowed for a quicker rollout | | | | 1 Mobile Coupon redemptionGetting Started |
| of mobile technologies here. Nationwide | | | | How do you Accept Payments?Reverse SMS is |
| Network coverage is easier to achieve. I | | | | very popular at the moment. It provides the |
| believe the first example in the US to take | | | | ability for you to direct consumers to secret |
| it mainstream was by the 'American Idol' | | | | download links on your site whilst taking |
| show. Viewers voted for the acts on the show | | | | payment through a premium SMS message. |
| via their mobile phone. They where then | | | | Another method known as 'WAP Push' sends a |
| charged a small premium for their vote on top | | | | link via SMS that automatically launches when |
| of their networks regular SMS charge. Think | | | | the message is opened. You will need to set |
| of the millions of votes that the show | | | | up your own WAP / SMS Gateway on your server |
| attracted and the revenue generated.That's | | | | which will require server administrator |
| micro payments in action.The beauty of this | | | | access to use both these solutions.But there |
| is that people don't feel like they're | | | | are other easier solutions a number of |
| spending money because they don't need to | | | | websites are springing up that allow you to |
| whip out their credit card, it's an easier | | | | upload your content available for download, |
| payment method, usually involving a simple | | | | games, video, wallpaper, MP3's etc . A small |
| text to a small number and the payment is | | | | fee is taken from each paid download by the |
| small. They also trust their mobile for | | | | SMS Gateway company.I've compiled a list of |
| making payments unlike an online | | | | useful links to a number of the above |
| transaction.Any payments made will appear on | | | | solutions and I've also thrown in a couple of |
| their next phone bill. People are already | | | | links to 'mobaphile' websites were you will |
| used to paying in this way, they're | | | | find some interesting predictions for the |
| comfortable with it. Whether it's to vote for | | | | future development of mobile phones along |
| an act on a TV show, for a game download or | | | | with some real off the wall ideas for making |
| to grab the latest ringtone.What have you got | | | | money with mobiles. M-commerce resource |
| that you could take micro payments for? | | | | list.To paraphrase a strap line 'The future's |
| | | | bright the future's mobile'.Darren Yates is |
| You should be considering how you can | | | | the owner of How-to-make-money-online.info a |
| utilise your current website network to tap | | | | site focused on Making Money Online and |
| into this market. Do you offer subscriptions? | | | | Internet Marketing, listing the many and |
| Is there a service you offer that you could | | | | varied ways of making money online. |
| convert to subscriptions.How Can You Make | | | | Featuring, resources, thousands of Internet |
| Some Money?Here's a quick example. Your | | | | Marketing articles and useful links.This |
| newsletter. Would your subscribers be willing | | | | article comes with reprint rights. You are |
| to pay a small premium to have your | | | | free to reprint and distribute it as you |
| newsletter delivered directly to their | | | | like. All that we ask is that you do not make |
| mobile? Wherever they are, without the need | | | | any changes, that this resource text is |
| to be sat in front of a PC. Thus bypassing | | | | include, and that the link above is intact. |