By Nisheeth Mohan

The holiday season this year comes on the heels of what many are calling the United States' worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Consumers are likely to be more cautious and take advantage of online comparison shopping before buying. More than ever, you need to have a plan in place for success in this difficult market -- and to make sure that your mobile site is tested and ready to provide an exceptional user experience for those who visit your site.

Dramatic advances in mobile technology -- and end-user expectations -- may well mean that this is the year that mobile comes into its own as a retail outlet, or at least as an in-demand research tool.

Smart retailers moving into this buying season will make sure that they have a three-pronged market strategy to make it easy for consumers to find, compare and buy what they are looking for.

Not only do your bricks-and-mortar and Web offerings need to be attractive and easily navigated, but so does your mobile Web site.

Comparison schlepping
This year's economy will drive even power shoppers such as the legendary Carrie Bradshaw (Sex in the City) and Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) to do more comparison shopping than usual.

When making their lists over lunch -- or when out and about combing bricks-and-mortar shops for the perfect gift, they may well reach for their trusty iPhone, BlackBerry or other mobile device to do some quick comparisons on price and availability before making a purchase.

Aggressive comparison shopping may eat up even more bandwidth per item or per shopper than in previous years.

If you haven't yet designed and tested your mobile retail site for navigability, availability, fast download time and scalability, it's not too late, although the season has already started.

Projections are that people are going to be buying more gifts via online media -- and that they are starting sooner.

Mediamark Research Inc. reports that last year almost one-third of all shoppers, predominantly women and boomers, started early, and pundits are projecting as many as 50 percent will start before Thanksgiving.

"Black Friday may be the traditional start of the holiday shopping season but, as many retailers have recognized, its strength has diminished as millions of Americans begin their shopping before Thanksgiving," said Anne Marie Kelly, Mediamark senior vice president of marketing and strategic planning.

Younger people seem more likely to start their shopping on Black Friday, according to a Maritz Poll.

Among younger groups, known for the adaptation of Web and mobile technology, online purchases grew by more than 10 percent during the 2007 holiday season.

Hint to marketers: According to a Nielsen Online Brand Association Map, those who chose to start Black Friday seemed to cherish the draw of specials and offers of discounts that kick off the traditional holiday shopping season. This year retailers are beginning those tactics earlier.

Black Friday, not black mark
If you don't have your offers and strategy in place to drive potential customers to your site, now is the time to do it.

Will the shopping curve be flatter this year, placing less stress on the online sites, or will more comparison shopping bog down some sites?

Will the surge on Black Friday and Cyber Monday be matched -- or replaced -- by a post holiday rush as savvy shoppers give money instead of gifts so that loved ones can take advantage of end-of-season sales?

It is impossible to predict. Hindsight will be a great instructor in these uncertain times.

The one thing for certain is that if you have not anticipated the need for strong mobile retail sites, you may well fall behind the curve.

If you think back to the start of the Internet boom, there were retail establishments such as Walmart that jumped on the Internet bandwagon early and invested regularly to stay in the forefront.

If you can remember back that far, there were some other large discount retailers that dominated the market, and clung to their strength in storefronts. They are now struggling to maintain position in the new shopping paradigm, or they are out of business.

I argue that the early adopters of consumer-pleasing mobile strategies are now mounting the power curve. Don't get left behind with a Web-only retail strategy or a poorly-tuned mobile site.

Nisheeth Mohan is product manager for mobile solutions and technology at Keynote Systems Inc., San Mateo, CA. Reach him at