Thinking about getting into mobile commerce? Here’s a few tips to look for.

Mobile commerce is a rapid growing industry. We thought the Internet was going to be special, but think about how important a mobile device becomes when you can do things like surf the Internet and buy things. And even link credit card processing to your mobile phone, mobile phones will become a laptop in the next five or six years and you’ll see more people with Blackberries and wireless devices that are equipped to handle mobile transactions than you will see people carrying around laptop computers. This is just a simple fact.

With many e-commerce retailers already bombarded with noise and clutter relating to mobile commerce. It may be difficult for them to understand and navigate through what truly is essential to their business when they’re addressing the mobile commerce needs. In this post were going to cover some of the more specific details you should be looking for when considering partnering with a mobile vendor.

First, see what kind of experience they have developing e-commerce stores. Find out if they were successful in that venture or, if they’re a new player find out what some of the key executive backgrounds are in. One company, I discovered based out of Seattle is mporia. They have experience developing mini malls and several other e-commerce applications so the transition to the mobile environment was easy. mPoria focuses on the user experience and making the process more efficient for customers. This approach can be very successful for an e-commerce retailer as we all know the trials and tribulations we’ve all experienced in helping customers navigate through our websites. So when you’re considering a mobile vendor I would also recommend considering someone that has an extensive e-commerce marketing background, so they understand what your consumers will be looking for, what will turn them off and what will bring them back.

Another thing to consider is how they process payments. Marketing is wonderful but if you can’t get paid for what you’ve marketed it really is all for not. One of the most important things you need to consider is what payment options to use. One very common mobile payment method is PayPal. PayPal recently launched Text2Buy and also PayPal Mobile Browser Check-out. These are extremely easy and extremely fun payment methods that a younger demographic is really in tune with. In fact, I just transferred five dollars to a buddy of mine that I owed it to by simply sending a text message to my PayPal account. PayPal provides a mobile application that can make getting online and excepting mobile payments extremely easy. So partnering with the vendor that is already integrated with PayPal will make your life much easier when launching a mobile website.

You’re also going to consider how secure the payment processing is, if they are linked with Visa and MasterCard are they running the latest security programs?

Another mobile vendor to consider is CardinalCommerce, CardinalCommerce has an extensive background in payment processing, specifically securing transactions through the payment channel. Cardinal has worked with some of the world’s largest retailers to help them process payments more efficiently, and also make sure that the transaction retailers except are from authenticated cardholders. This approach is interesting, especially since in the mobile environment where mobile phones are frequently lost shared or set down in a place where someone can pick it up and conduct a transaction. The CardinalCommerce MAX platform also provides a way to authenticate your customers minimizing risk and increasing security helping customers feel more safe and more loyal during the checkout experience. I highly recommend taking a look at Cardinals application as they do a phenomenal job, not just on the marketing side but also in understanding the intricacies of payment processing. If you feel the need to get in touch you can find contact information at http://www.cardinalcommerce.com/

These are just a few tips to consider to help you slice through the facts of all the sales calls you may be receiving and all the articles you are trying to read. Know this, very simply, mobile commerce is the future. Getting started now and learning the basics will help you capitalize on this opportunity as it swells into a multibillion dollar market before 2010.

Bookmark www.mobilecommercetimes.com for the latest info and data related to mobile commerce and also tune in for our podcast which will be coming soon. You can load them onto your iPod to learn the latest tips and tricks e-commerce retailers are using to help them tap into this powerful channel called Mcommerce.