I am sure when Pete Townshend wrote the lyrics to the Who’s “Goin’ Mobile” back in 1971, he had no idea what the word mobile would mean to all of us some 40 years later. Mobile web utilization continues to grow in popularity each and every day, and many well-known retailers are stating that close to 50% of all their traffic is now mobile based.

It’s not hard to see the trend towards mobile is growing and will continue to grow. After all, it is clear consumers are using their phones to search for products they want to purchase, and then sitting down on the couch with their iPad to scroll through different sites to make their purchase. I have a friend – who I would not consider to be the most tech savvy individual – who purchased a new flat screen TV with his wife on their iPhone while driving home from a vacation. That sort of large purchase is something that is becoming more and more prevalent.

Despite the growing marketplace for mobile sales, many businesses lack the very basic aspects of mobile compatibility. Restaurants are some of the largest benefactors of the mobile search component as people (in theory), can view their menus online and search for the perfect restaurant while commuting. However, the truth is most restaurants don’t even have a website that makes their menu accessible to view on a tablet, let alone a mobile phone; thus, missing out on a plethora of potential business.

The key area of interest to businesses is the e-commerce component that has really become ingrained with mobile based usage. People will often find the product they need on their phone, only to return to their laptop to enjoy the feeling of safety that desktop computer purchases provide. While it’s difficult to track this sort of purchase, the reality is this method of purchase will only continue to grow with the increased functionality of smartphones and tablets.

Most companies have no mobile strategy at all, and I view mobile not as a wave of the future, but THE FUTURE. Even in the B2B space, which tends to be more focused on non-mobile traffic, there has been a huge uptick in the amount of traffic that B2B based services are seeing. You can likely attribute this increase to the growing popularity of tablets and their capabilities being geared as mobile devices.

It’s moving quickly, but the time to bring mobile into your business strategy is now. “When I’m drivin’ free, the world’s my home…Goin’ Mobile.” Interesting to note…the Who never played Goin’ Mobile live in concert. Always liked the song, but now it has a whole new meaning in today’s world!