U.S. mobile commerce sales will grow 100% this year to $2.4 billion from $1.2 billion in 2009, according to ABI Research, an emerging technologies research and consulting firm. That’s following a 203% jump in 2009 from $396 million in 2008, the firm says.

“Growth in the U.S. in 2010 will be fueled by two factors. First, a rapidly increasing amount of consumers with smartphones or other mobile Internet-capable phones. And second, increased competition between retailers triggered by mobile online shopping,” says ABI senior analyst Mark Beccue. “Consumers leveraged mobile online shopping in 2009 to shop smarter. For instance, consumers shopped physical stores but used mobile online shopping to comparison shop and many times make an immediate purchase from a competitor. Mobile commerce sites will become table-stakes for most retailers in 2010.”

By 2015, shoppers worldwide will spend $119 billion on goods and services purchased via mobile phones, representing about 8% of total e-commerce sales, ABI Research predicts.

While the U.S. surpassed the $1 billion mark last year, Japan dwarfed the U.S. at $10 billion, ABI says. M-commerce is growing solidly in Europe, too, and is expected to outpace the U.S. by the end of 2010, the firm adds.

“Mobile online shopping is reaching critical mass,” Beccue says. “In the United States, mobile online shopping rose from $396 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009. While definitions of ‘mass market adoption’ vary, a 203% increase in one year indicates significant consumer interest.”

In a survey Staples commissioned, small businesses reported how likely they are to leverage mobile capabilities, such as a smartphone, for searching and purchasing supplies online. Small businesses that shop online frequently—three or more times per month—are more than twice as likely to say that mobile capabilities are important, as compared to those that place one to two orders online per month.

Additionally, more than a quarter of small businesses (27 percent) say they already have a device capable of making these purchases.

To address the growing need for mobile capabilities, Staples recently enhanced its existing mobile Web site so customers can easily shop and buy on any Web-enabled phone.

For customers who prefer applications, Staples created its first iPhone application, which can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store.

Mobile adoption is occurring five times faster than other technologies. You can be sure a segment of your customer base wants to interact with your site from their mobile device.

The younger the demographic is, the more important it is to have a mobile application. Also if your demographic and customers are really into social media and your fans are following tweets, then a mobile application is probably very important. If your demographic is still shopping bricks-and-mortar, then investing in mobile may not be the best use of development or marketing dollars this holiday season.

Overall, you need to understand what your customers’ needs and wants are and spend that money appropriately to reach them.

Given that many people are traveling and away from the TV and their PCs during the holidays, and the fact that people need to do more in less time, mobile phones are one of the best places brands can exist these days.

Think about other forms of marketing and advertising—nothing has a continual touch point with the customer the majority of their day. People have their phone out at work, it’s with them—and likely their entertainment—on the ride home, and it’s even next to people when they sleep.

Studies have shown that people would rather lose their wallet than their phone. 

All that said, people still demand immediacy. Mobile sites need to load quickly, be quick to help solve a problem or let the user find what they want in a hurry.

The mobile site should to help increase efficiency and save consumers time. This gain can come in many forms. Give a customer the ability to research ratings, prices and reviews on your site from their phone, which will help them avoid the wait to talk to a sales associate. Shoppers can also save time by using a mobile site checkout to avoid lines or can even pre-order ahead of time from their phone and have their purchase delivered to their car outside of the store.

Mobile advertising is significant/necessary for marketers during the 2010 holiday season.

Of those who used their phone, forty-five percent used it for research, nearly a third used it to get coupons or product reviews, and 25 percent used their mobile device to purchase a good or service.

Since the mobile commerce revenue numbers are projected to double from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion this year, the 2010 holiday season will be no exception to the growth. 

Sixty-four percent of consumers between ages 18-34 used their device for shopping, while 33 percent of consumers over 34 years old used their device. These percentages will continue to grow, so being in the mobile space is more important than ever.

Mobile adoption is occurring five times faster than other technologies, with no signs of slowing. The ever increasing use of mobile devices by consumers is giving savvy retailers a huge opportunity to cut through the clutter of a busy marketing world and communicate directly and effectively to customers.