Hope Floats In A Bad Economy With E-commerce
In a very short period of time we have seen some interesting changes associated with the internet. When it comes to attracting adult attention the internet sits solidly in the number 2 place behind television. Another demographic change is that adults 55 years of age and over now makeup almost one third of all internet users. This means that today, more then ever before, there is more buying power and prospects available to people wanting to buy and sell over the internet with the different e-commerce or shopping cart solutions now available. Other external factors driving on-line shopping include things such as the recent gas price increases and the move to more environmentally conscious green solutions. One more buying shift will be the change from higher income level families being more likely to purchase over the internet. Because of ease of access, a green consciousness and the cost of getting around more and more people from lower income levels will turn to the internet as well.
Statistics recently available through eMarketer suggest a 65% growth in US shopping over the internet between 2008 and 2013. In raw numbers this means a jump in US dollars from $133 B to $203 B. In Canada the growth from 2007 to 2012 is expected to equal these percentages with the Canadian dollar value rising from $13.8 B to $22.8 B. From a strategic perspective any company not doing business over the internet today is disadvantaged. However, the growth forecasts also mean that if your not in the game today by no means are you too late either.
Its difficult at best for anyone who reads a paper or watches or listens to the news to not be feeling down about the current economic reality. As with everything else in life however we can choose to be negative or we can search for the opportunity. And there is plenty of opportunity when we look at the internet. We know that by typing www we have almost instant worldwide fame or infamy. Its easy to get a message or advertisement out to virtually anyone who has an interest in it. When we overlay Shopping Cart technology it becomes even more powerful. Many of us would like to do more for our families and for ourselves but the economic circumstances for many is this is just not possible given what we are bringing home. Internet and e-commerce mean the possibility of multiple income streams are becoming a new option for many. If you have an idea or product and the interest to make them a reality you can also leverage a second or even third income. And the availability of many excellent Affiliate Programs means you don’t even have to have an idea or product right now. You can use someone else’s product or service and represent it while you learn the e-commerce game and work on your own idea.
In today’s economy cash stretched businesses are moving away from the traditionally more expensive advertising methods of Newspaper and Yellow Page ads and are taking greater advantage of both the Internet and the many new Social Advertising media such a Face Book, U-tube, Twitter and more. And here’s why! No matter how bad the economy appears, and although it may appear that it is bad everywhere, there are always pockets that continue to flourish and even prosper. This is why the Internet is such an important technology in this economy. These pockets will change over time as different influences kick in or depart. The constant is that your presence on the Internet combined with your e-commerce abilities, means that your business is always open, always available to these people that are still ready to purchase today.
In marketing and in any economy there is always one thing that holds up. There will be people ready to buy now and others that are just shopping, collecting information for that time in the future when they will purchase. To take advantage of the now buyer your website and e-commerce solution will determine if you are able to capitalize. This holds true for everyone. But how do you deal with the future shoppers or prospects? A good shopping cart will have a stay in touch capability so you can keep prospects interested until they are ready to act. However, the astute internet marketer will look to incorporate other technologies that work with your shopping cart and e-commerce programs. Using multi-media they deliver on-going campaigns updating your prospects on your products and services. They are proactive so the customer always knows when the next deal or special is coming. For an example of a company with an excellent marketing campaign technology check out www.AutomatedMarketingSolutions.com. Rounding out your platform should be the social networks including Face Book, U-tube, Twitter and more. These networks allow you to test the market for what you intend to sell, they allow you keep in touch with how your product is being received and to be proactive in correcting any emerging negativity. The bottom line is do not limit yourself in how you reach out to your current and future prospects and customers.
The last two years have not been kind to large companies and some of their outdated practices have given rise to significant animosity. Ill mention AIG and let it go at that. However, we can still learn from them. For example, a February 2009 report suggests that CMOs or Chief Marketing Officers, in their list of Top 10 Priorities for 2009, list the integration of their traditional media and marketing programs with internet services as number 2. There are obvious advantages of doing this and they include reduced costs and overhead in the marketing departments. For the entrepreneur and the small to medium business these same benefits accrue. An on-line enterprise combined with an e-commerce capability, if properly thought out and marketed, can be the key to a second income and additional peace of mind. It could be a stepping stone to a whole new business. As with everything else in the world however, how effective we are in using these tools to attract, convert and retain will differentiate us and our success.
Invest in yourself by implementing your E Commerce Electronic Purchasing today! An E Commerce Professional EBusiness solution can be simply and quickly implemented
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