As a digital lifestyle expert, people are constantly coming to me wanting to know what the next big trend will be. For 2012, all of my predictions relate to one thing: mobility. As smartphone and tablet adoption reaches critical mass in 2012, all the major new innovation we’re going to see will be in the mobile arena. Here are four of the top trends I’m expecting to see explode in 2012, as well as some tips on how your business can adapt:
1. Mobile Payments
While 2010 first saw the rise of mobile payment devices like Square transform your smartphone into a credit card terminal, 2011 was a banner year for mobile payments with all of the big players launching their first attempts at NFC payment technology. We’re going to see the mobile payment field rapidly expand in 2012, both in terms of more consumers using their mobile devices to pay for things as well as small business owners taking more of their payments with their phones, tablets to process credit card transactions while on the go. Don’t lose a sale because you haven’t started taking credit cards—research the newest and most innovative apps, and then find a way to bring your customers what they want this year.