Mobile Commerce Sends Strong Signals

Last year's stellar holiday season highlighted another record-setting trend - the staggering growth rate of mobile commerce. The IBM Benchmark December holiday report showed that sales from mobile devices doubled, reaching 11 percent versus 5.5 percent a few years ago.

Unfortunately, this impressive growth belies missed opportunities for e-tailers - industry analyst eMarketer reported that out of the nearly 56 million mobile users who shopped online in the U.S. last year, only about 27 million actually completed a purchase via a mobile device. The biggest reasons cited by consumers for the lack of mobile love? Clunky interfaces, tiny keyboards, and tedious checkouts.

The takeaway for online retailers who are wondering about investing in mobile optimization? Those who leverage mobile technology to offer a frictionless checkout and a truly satisfying mobile experience will be positioned to rack up big revenues in the next few years - and those who don't may miss out on what looks to be a very profitable year.