You might not believe it, but it’s now been five years since eBay launched it’s first mobile app. The app has since received 160million downloads worldwide and the auction giant expects to reach $20bn in global mobile sales by the end of 2013…pretty impressive!

Though many people still believe there is a trust issue with consumers and that paying for products via a mobile device simply won’t happen, eBay is clearly proving them wrong. Granted the nature of eBay lends itself perfectly to a mobile experience – if you’re not near a computer as an auction ends, no problem – but more and more people are using eBay as a marketplace, and it sure isn’t stopping them.

Research by eBay has uncovered the scale of the problem when it comes to m-commerce. Last year over a million consumer facing apps went into production, however 64% of these failed to make it, either through not being completed or being rejected by the app stores. That accounts for £3.19bn in lost development costs!

It’s clear that e-commerce can work in a mobile app, there is proof beyond eBay, but there are clearly some issues. So, to celebrate their fifth birthday Olivier Ropars, senior director of m-commerce at eBay has offered five top tips for mobile success.

Put mobile at the heart of your strategy

This is perhaps easier said than done, but mobile should now be a major component in all marketing strategies, whether it’s an app, a mobile-optimised website or other mobile technology. If you don’t feel you can but mobile at the heart of your strategy, have a separate, solid mobile strategy that won’t get swallowed up by other aspects of marketing.

Embrace technology

“Smart retailers are constantly innovating.” Be it through click and collect services, mobile app offers or simply allowing the option to remember payment details to make the checkout process simpler, embrace all aspects of technology. Don’t be afraid to keep adding new aspects to your app ion order to keep up with technology and your competitors.

Consistency is key

Regardless of how a customer starts or finishes their purchasing journey, consistency is key.

Put your brand in the hands of the consumer

Mobile apps are not about cannibalisation, they’re about maximising opportunities. Giving customers the ability to shop on the move increases the likelihood of spend, it’s that simple!

Don’t underestimate the size of the opportunity

Mobile shopping is only going to get more popular – eBays research shows that the arrival of universal 4G later this year will offer a further boost of about £1.8 billion a year to the retail economy.