Currently, consumers shop on their computers more than on their mobile phones, but this will not be the case for much longer. Yahoo! and The Nielsen Company have found that many smartphone users want to transfer tasks such as browsing and buying from their PC to their mobile. According to Yahoo! and The Nielsen Company’s report, The Mobile Shopping Framework Study: The Role of Mobile Devices in the Shopping Process, published in January, the sectors set to shift to mobile sooner rather than later include entertainment, shopping, dining and financial services, with others following in hot pursuit.

Gateway to the web
It is not hard to understand why mobile phones are becoming the gateway to the web. Consumers of all ages, from school children to the elderly, own mobile phones, and many people would not consider leaving the house without theirs. Mobiles have become one of the most important developments in modern communication.

When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, the way consumers interacted with both mobile phones and the web fundamentally changed. Four years on, as smartphones and tablets flood the market, consumers in the US are already checking their email more from their mobiles than from their PCs, and the UK and Europe are set to follow suit. Marketers from all sectors will need to adapt their communication strategies to embrace the influential mobile channel.

Earlier this year, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reported that mobile ad spend has increased by 116 per cent in 2010. Our own research backs this up, as we found that mobile and apps will be a key area of investment for 45 per cent of those surveyed. Other forms of digital marketing are also set increase, with 33 per cent of those we spoke to planning to continue investments in affiliate marketing; adverts on personal social networks (31 per cent); and online video content (30 per cent). A lot of this growth in digital marketing is being driven by mobile – for example an ad on a personal social network will reach a consumer accessing the platform via their smartphone as well as their PC. This means that advertisers and marketers are seeing the potential for increased visibility, enabled by smartphones. 

mCommerce and affiliate marketing
Mobile is possibly the most direct way to communicate with consumers, yet many mobile users actually feel that this platform is a non-intrusive way to receive communication. This is because all mobile marketing is opt-in. Marketers must now ensure they stay within the new regulations set out in the EU Cookie Directive, and reassure consumers they have ultimate control over whether their web usage is tracked. However, even within the new regulations, mobile web communication is trackable. Within affiliate marketing specifically, this means that marketers can glean evidence of both the most successful, and least effective, promotions they run.

As with many other digital marketing activities, mobile marketing strategies that offer ways of tracking consumer behaviour are key to profiting from this trend. Once consumer mobile behaviour is understood, marketers have the opportunity to begin influencing various stages of the consumer buying journey, and affiliate marketing has a significant role to play in supporting this. 

Affiliate networks are working to encourage both marketers and publishers to develop, test and validate mobile sites, ensuring their tracking technology works across multiple mobile devices and platforms. We have identified three major areas in the affiliate marketing space that digital marketers developing their mobile strategies should consider.

The first is Geo-targeting – Marketers can deploy location-based services to determine where a website visitor is currently based and then deliver offers and content to that visitor based on their location. As high street and online shopping habits continue to evolve, location-based offers will have a key role to play in the future of commerce.

The second is Personalisation – Mobile tracking technologies that comply with the new EU privacy regulations are available, and help marketers to measure the browsing and usage habits of mobile phone owners. This data can be used to deliver personalised content to consumers’ devices, which will be based on a users interests and history. This more-relevant content will mean a higher level of engagement, and ultimately, higher clickthroughs and sales.

The third area is Real-time offers – Marketers can offer short-term deals lasting anything from a few hours to a day, to specific mobile phones. These can be delivered directly, using geo-targeting technology, or linked to social networks, such as Facebook Places or Foursquare.

Mobile vouchers have a much higher redemption rate than printable vouchers, and considering the technology available, it is easy to understand why. The boom in mobile is by no means at its peak, and it’s safe to say that this channel is now here to stay. As smartphone and tablet take-up increases, mobile will become increasingly pervasive, and as such, marketers must keep evolving with it.Affiliate marketing is a tried and tested way to implement effective campaigns, by enabling marketers to track and tailor every pound spent. Affiliate programmes should be high on the agenda of marketers looking to gain an edge on their competitors moving forward in the mobile space.

Liane Dietrich is managing director of LinkShare UK