At the beginning of 2012, many companies set out to produce mobile apps for their business. A year later, and many apps are still under development and over budget. We believe 2012 was the year of “costly mobile experimentation.“

So, where does this leave companies as we begin 2013? We identified five mobile trends, based around the notion that marketers – not technology teams – will be tasked with creating mobile apps in the New Year.

Mobile usage is increasing at an unbelievable rate. According to some estimates, 87% of the world’s population now uses a mobile device. Almost 700 million of those devices are smartphones. And yet businesses are only slowly recognizing the opportunities that this brave new mobile world represents. It isn’t enough to enact one or two steps, such as simply implementing a mobile version of your website and calling it a day. In today’s ever-changing world you need a comprehensive mobile marketing strategy. One that focuses on building holistic relationships with customers.