“Mobile Commerce will grow to over $300 Billion by 2013,” Forbes Magazine

“The value of mobile commerce transacted in 2009 will total $1.6 Billion,” ABI Reasearch

“There are 270 million cell phone users in the U.S, and 82% of them never leave home without their devices,” Synovate

“Mobile commerce is likely to follow the history of exponential growth previously experienced by the e-commerce surge,” Adam Boysen, Acquity Group

We are on the ledge of a mobile revolution and we’re going over that ledge any day- companies that fail to act now, will be left out later.  Think of the explosion of e-commerce. Many doubted e-commerce based sites such as Amazon and eBay, yet today one must have an internet presence to be profitable in business.

We’ve gathered the top six marketing functions that can, and should be conducted on a mobile scale. If you’re unfamiliar with MCommerce, or unsure about Mobile Marketing, take the time now to get up to speed and get involved. You can take it from us, take it from Forbes, or take it from your own good business sense.

Here are the Top 6 Profitable Marketing Tips for MCommerce

Send Mobile Coupons- According to Mobile Marketer.com, mobile coupons pull a 5-15% conversion rate, compared to less than 1% conversion that traditional print coupons currently generate. Pizza giants like Papa Johns, who claim to have generated $1 Million in web orders this past December alone- through mobile marketing efforts are reaping the rewards of  mobile coupons. Print coupons may be on the outs, but mobile coupons are just heating up (no pun intended).

Remember the Basics- Just like any of your marketing efforts, Mobile Marketing should be targeted and valuable. Ask yourself these questions: Why are we using mobile marketing? How can mobile marketing improve our business? Exactly how can we use mobile marketing as a valuable aspect of our marketing mix? How will we measure success?

Have a Mobile (or at least mobile friendly) Website- With more consumers having access to the internet from their mobile devices, it is crucial that your website is available on the mobile web. This can be accomplished by creating a mobile website or having a professional make your current website mobile friendly. Your mobile website should have full capabilty to process sales transactions.  Check out our Mobile Store Maker for affordable, comprehensive options for creating a mobile site for your business.

Create a Lasting Dialogue- Remember that mobile marketing should be a long term piece of your marketing mix in order to be profitable. Don’t get stuck in a marketing rut- picking up mobile marketing once in a while when you feel it may help certain campaigns. Your new mobile customers need and expect ongoing communication from you. Before you start any mobile campaign, consider it from every angle. What’s going to happen before, during, and after the campaign? How can you stay engaged with your customers in a manner that converts them to loyal repeat buyers? Not by simply sending SMS messages out each time you have a sale. Think about how to weave individual campaigns together to create an ongoing dialogue with your customers.

Don’t forget location- Make sure that you’re easy to find using a mobile device- in fact, make sure that your mobile site includes location based services. For example, a parking garage could send alerts to subscribers in their area on Friday evening with a special cheap hourly rate for anyone who parks in their lot between 9-midnight. One of the biggest perks of mobile marketing is that you can reach customers where ever, and whenever. Don’t miss the opportunity to be there at the exact moment your potential customer needs you.

Get your Customers to Double Opt In- Similar to ecommerce, it is not only good business practice to have a list that is fully opt-in, but it is also profitable because you are creating a solid list of loyal customers, who are willing to receive advertisements/promotional content as long as they are given special deals or discounts. Keep an ongoing relationship with a solid list, and you’ll notice that list growing. Being innovative enough to jump into mcommerce now presents a wonderful opportunity to build a long lasting, reputable presence in the mobile web world. Failure to follow what’s considered good ecommerce practices at the jump with mcommerce would be shooting yourself in the foot- as you’re likely to get blacklisted quickly. Mcommerce and mobile marketing are exciting new opportunities for businesses everywhere- just remember to play by the rules.