Mobile Snippet: Cards are out. Mobile is in.

A recent study conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research and PaymentOne of online and mobile buying behaviours discovered that four out of five consumers would spend more online if there was a more secure alternate method of payment. The survey suggests that online merchants are missing out on an annually, aggregated revenue of $110 billion.

Whoa. Talk about a commerce gap.

An article in cellular-news noted that the survey found that consumers believe – at a whopping ratio of four to one – that direct carrier billed mobile payments are more secure than online credit and debit card digital purchases. Phil Blank, Managing Director at Javelin Strategy & Research, said “If digital merchants simply offered consumers an alternative way to pay, such as mobile carrier based payments, 79 per cent of decisive consumers indicated they would spend more, driving significant new incremental revenue from subscriptions, transactions and purchases. 300 percent more survey respondents perceived carrier billed mobile transactions, where financial information is never shared or loaded onto the phone, to be safer than “mobile payments” requiring consumers to input credit or debit card info.”

While 95 per cent of consumers surveyed had mobile phones, only 36 per cent had used them to purchase something. We suspect that will change very shortly. A note to merchants everywhere: drop your lengthy, arduous credit card forms  (known for timing out…grrrr) in favour of a mobile carrier alternative and, well, jackpot, my friend. Jackpot.

Reports listed in a Venture Beat article this morning state that Cyber Monday is set to kick Black Friday’s butt in overall sales.

This year, the two made-up shopping holiday’s book-ending the US Thanksgiving weekend will once again likely post dramatically different numbers. Cyber Monday sales are estimated to hit 1.2 billion, with 122 million Americans expected to participate in the online shopping extravaganza. While Black Friday sales were up 26 per cent from last year, they still fell short of the billion mark. Shucks.

The mania continued this year as news reports of pepper spraying moms, and dads and kids coming to fist-a-cuffs over Xboxes, hit the airwaves. In spite of that, the shopping holiday raked in $816 million in sales. But, thanks to e- and m-commerce, Cyber Monday is still expected to be the reigning champion.

Shopping chaos can be avoided via e-commerce

The physical experience of “shopping” continues to morph into an entirely different beast as the amount of consumers using their smartphones to shop is expected to double, according to a recent survey by BigResearch.

Cyber Monday’s rising popularity is, of course, directly correlated to the increase in e-commerce and mobile shopping in general. Andrew Lipsman from ComScore points out that Cyber Monday was just the 12th-biggest online shopping day back in 2006, but it steadily rose throughout the years, reaching the No. 1 spot for the first time last year.

It was shop.org that dubbed the Monday online shopping extravaganza with the moniker “Cyber Monday” back in 2005. They used the term to identify the noticeable rise in online shopping sales the Monday after US Thanksgiving when it was suspected that consumers followed up with purchases they didn’t make over the weekend.

This isn’t actually that peculiar once you consider just how dramatically Cyber Monday’s mobile shopping has exploded in recent years. In fact, 3.6 million consumers used their phones to shop for deals in 2009, a number which is expected to triple to 17.8 million for 2011 and is double last year’s figures (7.3 million).

Do you have a Cyber Monday wish list? if so, will you be purchasing any or all of your must-haves via your mobile smartphone? Let us know on Twitter, @plasticmobile.

Remember January 2010 when people working at charities had a “holy Mobile!” moment? Remember the instant when nonprofit organizations realized that mobile giving is a game changer when the American Red Cross raised 7%(more than 32 million) of all funds benefiting the Haiti earthquake crisis via mobile? Many believe that mobile giving reached a tipping point with response to the Haiti crisis last year but we know that this year it’ll grow even more.

In the old days, everyone had a charity box at home but that’s been supplanted by online and mobile giving, available to donors at any time. The mobile giving market represents the next step in this evolution, and is growing exponentially. We believe there’s never been a better time to start a mobile initiative than right now. In fact many experts believe that mobile giving has the ability to match or even outperform online donations.

Giving on-the-go and cause marketing via mobile media is the next trend for nonprofits and charities, and you have the chance to take advantage of the emerging mobile medium before consumers start getting bombarded by text messages asking for donations. And it doesn’t stop with raising money; nonprofits are also using mobile to share their organizational messages, stimulate volunteerism, and increase engagement and interactivity.

Although raising money via mobile giving is the primary goal for nonprofit organizations, mobile is more than just a fundraising tool. Therefore, it’s important to view the mobile channel not only as a mechanism for donations but also realize the benefit from the fact that the mobile phone is the most personal device to launch creative campaigns on, that reach for the heart and the pocketbook.

There are endless opportunities in the mobile channel. Mobile technology dramatically changed how consumers interact with brands and brands that understand consumer mobile behaviour will ensure success as the channel evolves. Still not convinced that mobile is game changing for nonprofits? Then read this:

Why is mobile a big deal for charities and nonprofits?

• Obviously for donations it’s simple, quick and can generate substantial volumes
• It not only it makes it technologically easier for supporters to donate, but also make it possible for them to donate on the go to fit their busy lifestyles
• Mobile integrates well with other media, so it allows you to use the strengths of each
• Mobile has become the preferred way to access Internet
• Mobile is the most effective means for you to reach out to people
• Mobile marketing today is where email marketing was years ago
• Mobile is compatible with nonprofit’s characteristics such as urgency and intimacy
• Mobile allows for real-time broadcasts
• Social networks are largely accessed through mobile and they have moved from being a mere vehicle of personal interaction to become the most comprehensive means of dissemination of any good news or cause
• User experience in mobile is vastly improving everyday
• Charities will reach new groups of donors by having a mobile initiative
• Provides innovative ways to engage with the public and invite them to support your cause
• It helps charities to think about how they can use geo-location tools to show their impact and to engage volunteers and donors wherever they are
• Mobile phones are highly personal and this allows you to get personal and even stir up emotions

The bottom line is that entering the world of mobile marketing could open up many new fundraising opportunities for your nonprofit organization. So, before it gets too late in the game to be on the cutting edge, integrate mobile into your multichannel marketing activities and benefit from “ the channel du jour”. Interested yet? Need help from industry experts? Give us a shout and will help you with all your mobile related needs.