Ask yourself: how much would you like your name, phone number, and Web site to be on your client’s and customer’s contact list. What would you pay to have this type of positioning. Well it is pretty inexpensive.

A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a special type of matrix bar code (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to traditional UPC bar codes.

Smart businesses will find all types of places to display their QR code. Signs, posters, mailing pieces, displays – the placement is unlimited.

You are likely to see QR codes showing up in all kinds of places in the future – from tee-shirts to all kinds of signs.

You can also have multiple QR codes – you can send clients or customers to specific web pages or places on your web site.

QR codes can do more than just be a contact generator. This allows potential clients to scan and get specific information. This technique is being used by real estate agents to provide more information about their listings.

Give your customers a reason to use their smart phone, and they will!

This is not a short video – so get a cup of coffee – sit back and watch what Google says about Mobile Live Streaming. Watch what Mary Meeker, Partner at Kleiner Perkins, Google’s Dennis Woodside, President of Americas Operations, and Jason Spero, Head of Americas Mobile Advertising have to say about the future of mobile and most importantly, what marketers can do to better connect with the mobilized, modern consumer.]]>

Use the SheldonOnline mobile phone simulator to check your website.

The mobile phone simulator is available on this site: http://www.sheldononline.com/mobilesimulator.

Now anyone can see what their current website looks like on a smart phone. The simulator includes BlackBerry, Droid, Nokia, and Apple iPhone. A quick check of any url is available by simply typing in the website and choosing the phone.

Of course, there is no charge to check out any website with this simulator.

The survey reported that Americans texted, emailed, used apps or surfed the web during nature calls.

Another shocking fact: More than 90 percent of people between 28 and 35 will return a call or text while sitting on the toilet.

The survey also found that one in five men joined a conference call while sitting on the toilet, despite the possibility of people on the other end hearing noises or accidentally hitting the FaceTime video conferencing button.

And in the privacy of the bathroom, it’s also a good place to shop – the survey found that 16% of those responding admitted to shopping while sitting on the toilet.

Android approaches iPhone levels of data use. At the beginning of the year, iPhone consumption was at least 4 times higher than that of any other smartphone platform. Toward the end of the year, iPhone consumption was only 1.75 times higher than that of the second-highest platform.

Mobile network connection speeds doubled in 2010. Globally, the average mobile network downstream speed in 2010 was 215 kilobits per second (kbps), up from 101 kbps in 2009. The average mobile network connection speed for smartphones in 2010 was 1040 kbps, up from 625 kbps in 2009.

Average smartphone usage doubled in 2010. The average amount of traffic per smartphone in 2010 was 79 MB per month, up from 35 MB per month in 2009.

Globally, 31 percent of smartphone traffic was offloaded onto the fixed network through dual-mode or femtocell in 2010. Last year, 14.3 petabytes of smartphone and tablet traffic were offloaded onto the fixed network each month. Without offload, traffic originating from smartphones and tablets would have been 51 petabytes per month rather than 37 petabytes per month in 2010.

The redesign allows us to showcase our Mobile website designs. We will be adding significant information about creating and building mobile sites to attract new clients, customers, and leads.

Stay tuned to our blog - this is going to get interesting!

Mobile Coupons are growing rapidly.
In the next two years Juniper Research predicts that approximately three billion mobile coupons will be issued to phones. Consumers are increasingly looking for offers and coupons in this down economy. Mobile coupons, via texting, are convenient, easy to access and redeem. They have become the latest ‘hot’ killer app, providing businesses with more reasons to consider a mobile presence. Bar coded mobile coupons, another new trend, are now becoming a significant practice amongst bigger businesses.

All kinds of businesses – Big & Small are embracing mobile.
Big brands have made mobile a serious part of their marketing spend in 2010. In the last two years, fast food joints like Wendy’s, Burger King, Subway and others have launched texting programs, mobile sites, and iPhone apps that enable a consumer to order food for pick-up.

Big retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears, J.C. Penney, and Target have built mobile sites and iPhone apps in the last year. These applications have allowed consumers to order products, read reviews & provide other services to their clients.

As with any marketing program, you need to understand how the mobile landscape is evolving and how this affects your target audience. To understand why 2011 is the year to add mobile to your marketing mix, here’s the skinny.

1. Smartphones are projected to reach a tipping point later this year. They’ll account for half of the mobile phone market says The Nielsen Company .
   
2. With mobile, smartphones include more than just talking.
3. How we use content has changed on mobile. As a result, we now multitask to get information. Mobile allows us to do so quickly.
4. Mobile advertising continues high growth trajectory. In aggregate, mobile advertising is projected to grow almost 50 percent to $1.1 billion in 2011, according to eMarketer.

So What Does This Mean for Your 2012 Marketing?

Regardless of your business focus, you need to allocate budget and headcount to mobile. To this end, set business goals for your marketing strategies and select related metrics before you jump in to ensure that you can track the results of your marketing investment.

For many businesses, the Smartphone is where the battle is moving. Smartphones are where consumers are examining your offering and your competitors’. Even brick-and-mortar stores must understand that even if a customer’s in your establishment, you may not get the sale, especially since consumers prefer checking their mobiles to talking to people!