 |
The "brandable" Mobile Invoicer
lets you charge customers
on your phone.
|
Mobile commerce in 2010 is where eCommerce was a few years before the turn of the century.
Back in '98, many people had doubts that the internet would be a serious business tool. Bets were made on Amazon’s chances of survival. That was when eCommerce was considered tech lingo. PPC, SEO and Affiliate Marketing were only novel ideas to many. Skepticism was common but innovative merchants forged ahead. A decade later, no one doubts the viability of Amazon.com. An accountant from Seattle believed in eCommerce and it paid off. eCommerce is an everyday part of our lives now.
Today, mcommerce is the new frontier for innovative merchants worldwide. Everything from booking tickets to ordering pizza has become easier and more convenient using your mobile device (phone). Consumers have access to the mobile web much more than they do their computer. More access means more sales.
For certain businesses, mobile commerce will be more important than ecommerce. mCommerce is the new and exciting sales channel. People will get used to buying on their phone and the merchants that understand that are going to profit.
Back before the turn of the century, the United States was ahead of the curve and is credited with being a pioneer in eCommerce. Today, the world is different and mobile commerce is growing worldwide. In many places, mobile commerce adoption is well ahead of the United States. We are not the early adopters anymore.
Here’s a great quote from a Chinese Newspaper:
“Currently, the mobile commerce industry is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges for development. On the one hand, opportunities are like never before. Presently, 3G is witnessing large-scale commercialization in China, and the number of mobile phone users keeps growing, which has exceeded 700 million, with a mobile net-user population of 155 million. The trend of modern commerce moving to the mobile Internet platform is becoming obvious.”
(Original URL of Article)
In Africa, mobile payments are becoming commonplace:
“I feared opening a bank account because I didn’t have the money to pay in bank charges,” said Mr Ddumba adding: “With mobile money, I don’t need to open a bank account any more now that I can keep, send and receive money via my phone at a very low cost.”
(Original URL of Article)
This is not to say that the United States is not making headway. Apple has sold so many mobile applications that their gross income is higher than some country’s GNP. Microsoft, Google and Nokia are also competing; along with Research in Motion and Palm. Plus, mobile banking is surging in popularity. There is a lot of activity now. Imagine 18 months from now!
This activity is reminiscent of ecommerce in 1998. Mobile commerce is just beginning to take hold. Papa John’s Pizza sold over a million dollars on mobile devices within months of launching their mobile commerce application. Amazon, Starbucks and other majors have mobile initiatives based upon initial success. The mobile commerce revolution is here. Today, there is tremendous opportunity for the innovative merchant.
Because of the mature level of eCommerce, the opportunity is being extended to an even broader audience in mCommerce. In 1998, you had to fill out huge forms, pass a credit check and wait forever to get approved to accept credit cards online. Today, just about anyone with a bank account can apply to PayPal and Google Checkout in minutes. You can apply, be accepted, and begin charging customer’s for your products the same day. The mobile commerce opportunity is wide open and available to everyone.
That is where App Publishing comes in. App Publishing is a software development company from Portland, Maine that focuses on mobile commerce applications. App Publishing has developed some DIY mobile commerce applications. These applications put mobile commerce in the hands of the average person. They benefit everyone from serious merchants to garage sale proprietors.
The first application is called “Mobile Invoicer (www.MobileInvoicer.com). It’s a Mobile Billing and Invoicing System. This allows people to charge other people for products and services on their phone. You can create an invoice and hand your phone to a customer for immediate payment or you can email or text the invoice to the customer allowing them to pay on their phone or on their computer. Payments can be made by credit card, PayPal or Google Checkout.
The second application is Mobile Store Maker (www.MobileStoreMaker.com). This application allows you to add products and build your own mobile store that can be viewed on any decent mobile device. Building a mobile store does not require you to know html, css or any programming language. In fact, you can add your products to a spreadsheet and product images to a zip file and upload them from the administration panel populating your store in minutes. Again, customer can pay by credit card, PayPal or Google Checkout.
App Publishing is taking the mobile commerce opportunity to the street and putting it in the hands of everyday people. Considering the current economy with its high unemployment, the need is there and the potential customer base numbers in the billions worldwide.
Ten years from now, the folks at App Publishing hope to hobnob with people like Jeff Bezos reminiscing about back in the day when the mobile commerce revolution was young and opportunity existed for everyone. We hope that you will join us.
App Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 7681
Portland, Maine 04112
Web: http://www.apppublishing.com
Phone: 1-800-985-9277
