Payment services provider, Adyen, has found that one in five payments on its network are now being made using a mobile device – with mobile payments increasing in travel, ticketing, retail and digital goods, according to a magazine article I was reading recently.

In contrast, according to Adyen, the gaming sector showed a small decline this quarter of 1.6%, which is likely due to the growing prevalence of in-app payments today.

Whether in-app or mobile Web payments, the findings illustrate the rise of mobile shopping worldwide. Customers are increasingly embracing mobile commerce, and they are also increasingly expecting the convenience of paying for goods and services with their mobile devices – whether that’s paying for train tickets, online gambling or buying e-books and groceries.

This, I think, presents two opportunities for merchants:

1. Firstly, it is becoming ever more important for brands to create a mobile experience that will engage the customer, entice them to make a purchase, and inspire them to return time and time again. Think of it as a mobile journey: An organization’s mobile website or mobile app is the virtual equivalent of the physical store, so how do you draw your customers in, present your merchandise in a way that is relevant to them, and make sure they receive the best possible service throughout?
2. Secondly, the mobile payment and checkout process itself needs to be as seamless and simple as possible, or customers will abandon their shopping cart.

Both can only be achieved by providing a reliable, real-time service with relevant and up-to-date data. Many organizations still struggle with the challenge of developing mobile solutions that rely on huge amounts of data being sent across increasingly congested networks. To help with this challenge, we have created a checklist for selecting a highly scalable real-time data solution to help ensure real-time applications have the content required, at the necessary speed, to transform your business and make the most of new opportunities.