ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce

Mobile commerce: It's a reality

Welcome to Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce.

Retail giants Target, Sears and Wal-Mart and fashion houses Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior all went mobile this year, proving that mobile commerce is here to stay.

The launch of the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm and the G1 Android-enabled phone proved that this industry is capable of getting over the smallscreen challenge.

The fact of the matter is that mobile commerce isn't just something marketers are dabbing their feet into. They are slowly starting to jump in full throttle.

Retailers such as GameStop are using mobile coupons to drive consumers in store. If that's not mobile commerce, I don't know what is.

I think for the first time we can proudly say that 2008 was the year for mobile commerce. Yes, the channel still has ways to go. Yes, there are still some consumers who don't trust mobile. But isn't that always the case?

Let's look back to the beginning of the Internet and ecommerce.

Consumers had all the same doubts about ecommerce as they do today with mobile commerce. It was a challenge that the industry faced and ecommerce companies and the software and technology companies that serve them overcame.

The same will be true for mobile commerce because, let's face it, it is here and it isn't going away.

It's no exaggeration when I say that mobile commerce will soon change the shopping habits of consumers just like the Internet already has done.

Remember the mobile channel is more personal than any other and there's no doubt that well-thought out mobile commerce sites and services will strengthen the bonds between brands and consumers.

However, there are still brands and companies that are newcomers to the mobile commerce space and don't know where to begin.

This guide aims to help retailers, marketers, advertising agencies, service providers, site developers, ad networks, analytics companies and others find their way around the mobile commerce industry.

The list of contributors to this guide includes representatives from 5th Finger, Bango, Acision, Acuity Mobile, Billing Revolution, ChaCha, Clickatell, Kelley Drye & Warren, Liquid Wireless, MCN, Miller Nash, Mobile Data Systems, Mobile Posse, Mobisix, Money Mailer, MPower Mobile, MTT, on-Idle, Personal Remedies, Siteminis, SiteSpect, Skycore, SmartReply and Sybase 365.

The articles offer best-practice tips, educational points of view and analysis.

The case study on retail giant Sears' mobile strategy is worth reading.

The authors of the 20-plus articles in this guide play a vital role in the mobile commerce ecosystem. Their insights and analysis will help you in your mobile commerce efforts. We thank these senior executives for their time and hard work.

To editor in chief Mickey Alam Khan, staff reporter Dan Butcher and director of ad sales Jodie Solomon: Thank you for your help and guidance in producing this guide.

A special thanks to Rob DiGioia for his art direction and overall production of this guide.

Please read Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce from cover to cover and circulate it to your friends, colleagues, clients and prospects.

Also, visit http://www.mobilemarketer.com and sign up for our free newsletters that offer the latest news and analysis on mobile marketing, media and commerce.

We hope you benefit from this guide and look forward to featuring your mobile commerce wisdom and work in the next.

Please click here to download a PDF copy of Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce.