The “mobile wallet” idea is similar to what was being pushed in the 90s as “M-Commerce” — using cell phones as mobile payment devices. But the current manifestation of the idea sees mobile wallets also carrying electronic versions of other things usually found in wallets — membership cards, loyalty cards, and other forms of identification.

Advocates of the mobile wallet concept include credit card companies, hardware vendors, credit card terminal companies, and traditional wireless companies like Nokia and Cingular. Industry representatives project there may be as many as 25 million wireless subscribers in North America by 2011.

** Consumers Not Excited about Mobile Wallet Concept

But according to a recent study by In-Stat, U.S. consumers are lukewarm to the idea of using cell phones as mobile wallets.

The survey of consumers found that only about 33% of those surveyed were interested in the idea. 72% of respondents were concerned with the additional fees that would be attached to this service. A smaller, but still very significant, number of respondents were concerned about the potential loss of privacy and security.

** Mobile Wallet Idea Big in Japan

The mobile wallet concept was given a large push in 2005 when a number of major Japanese credit card and mobile phone companies formed the Mobile Wallet Alliance. The incentive for such a service is greater in Japan than in the U.S. and Canada because fewer Japanese consumers rely on credit card transactions. The mobile wallet is seen as a replacement for cash — especially for “micro payments”.

Japanese credit card companies and mobile phone companies both see this as a future growth area because it will increase cell phone usage as well as reliance on the credit card infrastructure.

Things are a bit different in North America because use of credit cards is already widespread. So converting customers to cell phone payments does not have the same appeal for North American credit card companies — they already have the business.

However, other non-credit card payment processors such as PayPal actually do have a vested interest in seeing the mobile wallet payment system move ahead. Paypal, which has developed a massive online presence have an obvious interest in moving into more traditional payment processing areas. They see mobile payments as a way of offering an alternative to consumers and taking business directly away from credit card processing companies — just as they have done online.

** Cell Phones and iPods being used for Tour Guides

Another expanding use for cell phones is being experimented with in places such as New York City where several companies are developing audio tours for places like museums, art galleries, and even street tours. WNBC reports that the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan offers audio tours on handheld guide devices, and also makes the tours available in MP3 format for free on their website, and even at iTunes.

These tours can be downloaded and then played on your iPod or MP3 enabled cell phone while you browse through the Museum. Just don’t be surprised if you’re asked to stop talking on your cell phone while in the Museum.

One similar service includes walking tours narrated by celebrities, developed by Talking Tours. These audio tours can be accessed by cell phone. The $5.95 charge will be added to your cell phone bill.

Another service is made available by Soundwalk. Tours are avaible on CD or as a download. You can then load them into your iPod, cell phone, or other MP3 device so you can listen to an “insider tour” while you “walk the walk”.

If you want to move real estate today it is essential that you get your listings before the biggest possible audience of prospective buyers. Leading realtors utilize the power of the internet to market their listings to the widest audiences possible and this is what you also need to do.
With online marketing you have several effective and different ways in which you can market your listings to move them from, For Sale to Sold. Most every real estate agent understands that they must have a website today and I am sure that you are aware of this as well. Your realty website is the landing zone where all your other online marketing efforts will direct traffic to and is also the first place people are most likely to look for when researching who you are, the services you offer, and for confirmation from customer testimonials of the results you have achieved.
Once traffic has been rerouted to your website from the teasers you have put out there to get them interested in a visit, you have to give them something to make it worth their while. Clean and vibrant graphic designs and a wide collection of offerings on your website such as informational and educational articles, RSS feeds, mortgage calculators, virtual tours, forums, polls, newsletters, and links to blogs, real estate listing directories, and other websites containing relevant, quality information are some of the features you should consider for your website to enhance the online marketing of your listings.
Podcasting is the hottest feature to become available recently for use on websites and is certainly an impressive method for the online marketing of your real estate listings. A podcast is a radio and video cast in one with amazing graphics capability. A podcast can be downloaded to mobile devices and viewed at anytime for nonstop marketing of your real estate listings. It raises the level of the virtual tour to new and exciting heights with equally lofty and profitable results.
Building your own blog or posting on other high profile real estate blogs is a tremendously effective method for the online marketing of your real estate listings. Blogs have a huge presence online these days and you can use this presence to your advantage. Link your website and blog for continues looping of traffic and the potential for more sales and revenue to result. Provide links back to your website when you post in other blogs and online meeting places like forums, directories, and local results pages.
There are a number of places in which you can market real estate listings online, but not all destinations offering web advertising opportunities are good choices. You need to check it out before you place your real estate listings and the reputation of your company in harms way by submitting to a poor quality site or web advertising firm.
Email marketing has become the most widely form of online marketing in the last year alone. You can market to a wider audience much more affordably through emails than you can by sending out bulk mailings. Emails are also exceptional for marketing your real estate listings to your customer base to alert them of activity with listings versus having to phone each customer separately.
Search engines big and small can help you with the online marketing of real estate listings. You have to help them to help you though, and you do this by utilizing the latest techniques in SEO. You may be aware of the importance of the search engine optimizing of your website, but know that SEO is just as important in your blogs, forums, marketing emails, directory listings, and web advertising.