When you go shopping for a new mobile device, what features are you looking for?  Email?  Web browsing?  Turn-by-turn navigation?  What about a cell phone?  When was the last time you bought a phone specifically for it’s amazing call clarity?  The fact is, mobile users do a lot more than make phone calls and keep track of their to-do lists these days.  As Stephen Lawson points out for PC World, Yahoo is hoping to cash in on the mobile madness sweeping airwaves.

Is mobile advertising the next big thing?  Will monthly service contracts go the way of the dinosaur only to be replaced with advertising-based revenue streams?  Lawson doesn’t think so.  Yet, anyway.  But there are some compelling reasons for advertisers to explore ways of getting their messages onto mobile devices.

Mobile usage continues to rise, especially overseas.  And while the United States is poised to catch up with its international counterparts, Yahoo isn’t waiting.  In fact, the search giant is slated to begin rolling out its first wave of banner-based mobile advertising later this week.  The ads are designed to take up less than a quarter of the screen and can be tailored to different types of mobile devices.  Additionally, Yahoo has created a system that allows mobile browsers to call an advertiser directly simply by clicking on their ad.

For the right type of business, this could be huge.  For example, telephone-based companies (such as suppliers and catalog order companies) could route customers directly from an ad to their ordering line.  Credit card companies could advertise low interest rates and have you on the phone to apply in a matter of seconds.  It amazes me how many people use their cell phones for everything but making calls.

Will I be equally as amazed at the integration of advertisement into the mobile experience?  Would you click an advertisement on your cell phone or Blackberry if you knew it’d contact the advertiser immediately?