Imagine a PC that is always on, travels with you anywhere, contains all your data – personal and professional – and is customizable for your needs.

Now imagine that it only weighs about 5 oz and is probably in your purse or pocket right now.

Smartphones will outnumber PCs approximately two to one within the next few years, according to a December 2009 report from Morgan Stanley. Smartphone sales are expected to grow by year-over-year to overtaking laptop sales.

So what does this mean to traditional marketing companies? A lot. There is an entire new audience out there – one that never visits a website or sits in front of the TV. And there are new technologies for doing things you can only do (or want to do) from a mobile device.

So how do you market for this device? Not by using the traditional dotcom approach.

Mobile users want things fast. They want relevant information – not the whole enchilada (or PDF). They want location-aware services that know they are on the move. They want apps that realize they aren’t using a mouse, can’t usually print anything out, may have limited bandwidth and are using a keyboard the size of a credit card. A different approach is needed designing for this medium. Read more

Mobile devices have arrived and are making huge in-roads in today’s marketplace. The number of people using multipurpose smartphones (iPhones, Blackberries, and Droids) has soared over the past years. With the merger of video, cameras, GPS, cell phones, and computers, mobile websites and applications are emerging as the way to put your business where the consumers are. With recording huge 4^th Quarter Earnings, Google has made it clear mobile web is where the big growth is… and may be overtaking the PC Web sooner than later.  Learn More

In its simplest form, eCommerce, is where doing business meets the Internet. While individual companies and whole industries continue to move toward online eCommerce at their own pace, collectively the future dictates the Internet be integrated, institutionalized and accommodated. ATG, a trusted specialist in eCommerce, has created Optimizing the eCommerece Experience, to help you maximize your eCommerce efforts as you integrate your online and offline sales channels.

Social marketing is all about ‘eyeballs’. The more visible you are, the more popular you become. Learn how to take advantage of the opportunity to sync your Twitter and LinkedIn profiles by watching this tutorial video or viewing Hub Spot’s easy-to-use visual guide. Linking your profiles is easy-to-do and will ensure your content gets viewed. Use your status updates to make announcements, feature prominent messages and highlight special offers.

Did you hear? Google has launched Google Buzz . Be sure to check out this great  new tool to have conversations with people you already email and chat with via Gmail.  Let us know what you think, post a comment.

There are hundreds of articles on how to make the best use of your tweeting efforts. And yet with each article, you might only pick one or two points then move on. With so much information out there, a consolidated mix of basics is essential. Michelle Bowles posted a super blog, 5 Ingredients for a Perfect Twitter Marketing Recipe, which offers a concise, easy-to-digest way to maximize your Twitter marketing strategy.

eMarketer recently reported that mobile application development will soar in 2010, while social media investment is predicted to taper off and remain near 2009 levels. Read More about other hot trends for 2010.

If you think websites do not have an undue influence on consumer purchasing patterns, you should read Research Shows Websites Influence 97% of Client Purchasing Decisions. This article reveals the extent the results of a recent poll in which almost 100% of consumers admitted being influenced by a company/product website when making buying decisions. The article makes the case that various applications of web technology are now considered essential elements of a fully integrated marketing communications program. Additionally, the article goes on to explain that a poorly designed website lacking clear, cohesive content and navigation can actually hinder business success. Finally, the article contains a link to an intriguing webinar that discusses the way in which outbound marketing efforts should be reduced for inbound ones (using the web and social media). In fact, the author reveals how cost effective such marketing efforts are – showing SEO, social media, and email campaigns to be much lower cost than more traditional forms of marketing – and to offer much higher returns.

Is there value in spending time following eMarketing industry news? Is it worth the 10 minutes from your daily routine to monitor Internet changes? By keeping up with what is happening in the industry you will:

• Stay ahead of your competition
• Prevent wasted resources
• Become a thought leader
• Network with other professionals
• Drive strategy on information

Monitoring what is on the horizon is incredibly important. Check out this article from Hub Spot to learn more about why you should take the time to keep up with Internet news. If you set up a routine, monitoring online industry news doesn’t have to be a hassle.

One of the best ways to communicate with your audience is through eMail marketing. eMail campaigns are:

•  cost effective
•  timley
• allow for quick response cycles

Download these white papers on the Best Practices for eMail Marketing, from L-Soft. They explain time-tested techniques to help you succeed in your eMail marketing efforts.