WebProNews

That's right - 9 million US mobile users turned to their mobiles to make purchases. Not just to research where to buy, but to actually burn a whole in their credit cards via their cell phones.

Nielsen Mobile detailed the new report, which sees purchasing of goods and services via mobile phones on the rise. And guess which gender likes spending more via their mobiles. Wrong - it's men. 4.9 million men vs 4.3 million woman indicated they have made a purchase via their phone.

In the US, of the 40 million active users of the mobile web, 5 million of them visited shopping and auction websites (e.g eBay) during April 2008 - That's up 73 per cent from April 2007.

Nielsen's report also highlighted an increasing willingness to make purchases via text messaging , with apparently 6.5 million users already utilizing sms based purchasing.

Mobile is definitely asserting itself as the next frontier for retailers and online businesses.

Just this weekend, i turned to good old Google Maps on my Blackberry to find a local "fish and chip" shop. The only thing missing from the experience was the ability to order online via my phone rather than having to call up (tip of the week for would-be restaurant entrepreneurs).

If your business is targeting local markets or is suited to low involvement online purchasing - then mobile is definitely increasing the relevance of search engine advertising to your company. It might even be worth exploring a mobile friendly version of your website. 9 million users in the US alone are ready to buy!