If it seems like every other day, some report comes out announcing the growth of mobile, it’s because it’s really happening.

In the last week alone, there were three that we came across.

Mobile E-Commerce Trends

Custora’s data says that mobile accounted for a third of January’s online transactions. The company’s data revealed 20% of online orders occurred on an Android device, up 6% from last January. 20% may not seem like a lot but remember  it’s the Average Order Value (AOV) that matters more than total number of transactions from either device. Any efforts to drive sales should consider audience and device so you can see clearly see how that channel performs for your business.

Global Mobile Usage

The Pew Research Center looked at 24 emerging markets and found that, while mobile phone ownership is nearly ubiquitous in the markets studied, smartphone penetration is well below 50% of mobile users in most of these countries.

InMobi asserts that, in emerging and less affluent markets, mobile media time exceeds the PC internet (this also applies to the US, though TV trumps both PC & mobile still as primary screen for our media consumption). This report also found that, in the same emerging markets, 83% of consumers plan to conduct mobile commerce in the next year.

If your audience is global, get ready for huge opportunities as mobile internet access numbers grow.

Time to Get Mobile

Mobile can’t be an afterthought anymore. There are too many giant, flashing arrows pointing toward mobile as the place where people are doing business, buying goods, sharing content, and conducting research.

So how can you optimize your brand’s marketing for mobile? Here are two ways you can dive into mobile marketing:

• Facebook advertising targeted toward mobile handsets. Nearly one-half of Facebook’s mobile users access the site from their mobile device exclusively. Mobile-optimized Facebook ads are huge (as in, giant in size, since they take up nearly the whole cell phone screen). Coupled with the advanced targeting options available through the Facebook ads, average industry click-through rates and lower CPCs are all the proof you need that there’s a ripe opportunity for every kind of business.
• Mobile Search/PPC. Mobile optimized targeted campaigns see 11.5% higher click throughs than non-optimized efforts, and mobile searches themselves have quadrupled in the last 3 months. Jump on this effort if you’re a local business in particular, as Click-To-Call actions could be a huge driver of customers for you.

Now, depending on your objectives and your audience, you may not need an entirely mobile optimized site right this very moment, but for most companies, you should put it on your “must have” list for this year. A responsive website ensures that your site renders in the best possible format for the device your customer is on; it also enables a seamless experience for customers who interact with your mobile marketing and want to take that next step on your site.

As consumer engagement continues to shift toward mobile devices, many companies have already started to put their strategies into action. Mobile marketing was once a “nice to have”, but it’s quickly become an crucial part of successful marketing programs.

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