2011 will see mobile commerce finally move into the mainstream, with mobile payments set to quadruple by 2014, reaching £400bn globally.

So says mobile marketing and technology firm 2ergo, which is predicting several significant developments that will profoundly affect the way businesses of all sizes engage with their customer base.

The trends, set out in its Whitepaper, 10 Predictions for Mobile Marketing in 2011 and Beyond, include the emergence of intelligent mobile CRM, which enables targeted mobile communication based on the type and dates of prior purchases, and the growth of mobile couponing and loyalty schemes. 

2ergo is urging companies to ensure their mobile marketing plans are able to harness these trends and capitalise on their growth through the production of location-based services, mobile commerce platforms and content-rich mobile services.

“We’ve seen plenty of predictions over the past few years that mobile is set to boom, but the uptake has never yet matched the market expectation,” says Colin McCaffery, director of products at 2ergo. “Our own research has shown that four out of five High Street brands aren’t engaging with their customer base through their smartphones, so there is still massive potential to be explored through intelligent mobile marketing.

“The explosion in apps and smartphone usage proves that consumers now view mobile as an essential channel for information, communication and entertainment. Retailers have the opportunity to build on this appetite by providing smart, effective mobile sites and commerce tools that will move mobile marketing from the fringe and into the mainstream.”

You can download the Whitepaper here.