Smart phones have changed the way we communicate, the way we use the Internet, and the way we organize our social lives. Interestingly, few people actually use their smart phones as phones – but that’s a topic for another piece.
Now, smart phone application developers are setting their sights on the way we shop. Dozens of mobile shopping apps are already available for download – the most popular allow consumers to comparison shop on the spot to make certain the item they are looking at one store isn’t available for a better price at another store down the road. The savviest users also compare prices to online retailers and use their smart phones to actually complete the purchase.
Most experts expect the mobile online shopping experience to explode as developers create software with enhanced features and benefits. If they can make this software available for free downloading, the growth will happen even faster.
Interestingly, mobile applications designed to facilitate the sale of food delivered to your door is seen as a huge growth area. Ordering and paying for a pizza with your phone, for example, means delivery drivers no longer have to hassle with cash and checks.
Sales of virtual goods are also skyrocketing. Consumers pay for these items, which only exist in social networks or online games, with their phones. The charges, rather than being placed on a credit card, are simply added to the user’s monthly phone bill. Financial experts express some concerns about this particular trend, worrying that people may not be fully aware of the amounts they are spending and that they may find it hard to pay their bloated phone bills at the end of the month.
Software developers and cell carriers are working together to create applications that allow people to track their total monthly charges and avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the month. Wouldn’t Alexander Graham Bell be amazed?