Thursday, May 22, 2008
Did you know…
According to IDC’s Small Business Internet Forecast Survey, 4.4 million small businesses had sites by the end of 2007—that’s only 53% of all small businesses in the United States!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Did you know…
According to eMarketer, a recent survey by iCongo and Harris Interactive shows that 33% of surveyed US adult Internet users are more likely to shop online because of high gasoline prices.
Online shopping offers convenience that brick-and-mortar stores just don’t have. And while gas prices continue to climb—particularly during the upcoming summer months—more and more consumers are expected to use the Internet for their retail needs or to look up information about businesses!
Online shopping offers convenience that brick-and-mortar stores just don’t have. And while gas prices continue to climb—particularly during the upcoming summer months—more and more consumers are expected to use the Internet for their retail needs or to look up information about businesses!
Did you know…
According to a recent ICOM survey, 67% of shoppers said they are much more or somewhat more likely to use coupons during a recession. Shoppers’ ages were also a factor in coupon use, with 71% of consumers in the 18-34 age bracket saying they were more likely to use coupons and 68% in the 35-54 year-old age bracket and 63% of those 55 years and older.
The best news is that 58% of consumers responding in the survey said they would increase their coupon use if they had access to coupons electronically! Business owners have the ability to reign in these spenders during trying economic times—help them make it possible!
The best news is that 58% of consumers responding in the survey said they would increase their coupon use if they had access to coupons electronically! Business owners have the ability to reign in these spenders during trying economic times—help them make it possible!
Did you know…
According to research released this month by Harris Interactive, half of respondents said they made an online purchase in the previous year as a result of permission-based e-mail marketing. And, as eMarketer points out, “e-mail was second only to customer reviews on Web sites for influencing online purchases” according to a study conducted in February by DoubleClick Performics. When it comes to influencing online purchases, e-mail was nearly equal to search methods, according to the study.
These numbers show that opt-in e-mail (not spam!) is an extremely effective way for the clients to influence their customers into making a purchase. Mavik Web Solution provides the tools necessary for you to create e-mail lists and track customers so you can take advantage of this successful marketing approach!
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These numbers show that opt-in e-mail (not spam!) is an extremely effective way for the clients to influence their customers into making a purchase. Mavik Web Solution provides the tools necessary for you to create e-mail lists and track customers so you can take advantage of this successful marketing approach!
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Get a Web site, get global exposure!
Remember what we always say about the many benefits of a Web presence for a small business? A business that leverages the Internet has the potential to reach millions of new customers all over the world! A recent article in USA Today gives plenty of weight to the argument that every business needs a Web site for global exposure!
“The timing has never been better for small businesses to get out of their backyards and become global players,” said small business consultant Laurel Delaney of GlobalTrade.com.
The article states that more and more US small businesses “selling hundreds of billions of dollars in goods and services to Asia, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa.” In fact, from 1992 through last year, US small business exports rose almost fourfold to $400 billion, according to the Small Business Administration. USA Today counts the Internet among the key reasons for this booming globalization.
“The timing has never been better for small businesses to get out of their backyards and become global players,” said small business consultant Laurel Delaney of GlobalTrade.com.
The article states that more and more US small businesses “selling hundreds of billions of dollars in goods and services to Asia, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa.” In fact, from 1992 through last year, US small business exports rose almost fourfold to $400 billion, according to the Small Business Administration. USA Today counts the Internet among the key reasons for this booming globalization.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Netflare, a marketing strategy firm in the UK, recently completed a survey of small businesses in multiple sectors. The results show that SMBs still aren’t leveraging the Internet as a convenient way to simultaneously increase revenue and decrease spending.
In some cases, the businesses had a Web site, but didn’t keep it up-to-date! In fact, 23% of the small business Web sites in the survey hadn’t been updated since their launch, meaning much of the content was obsolete or inaccurate. The average age of a Web site was 4 years—that’s a lot of time for a business to change inventory, focus and pricing!
The survey also found that only 8% of respondents had e-commerce technology on their Web sites. Here’s what Netflare’s Jon Beal had to say about those results:
“We were completely staggered by the tiny percentage of small business owners who were actively using their Web sites to generate sales.”
A majority of the small business owners indicated they wanted to use their Web site to increase sales. Beal said, “It is beyond comprehension that small business owners are ignoring one of the fastest growing sales opportunities there has ever been…the fact that small businesses are neglecting this huge and growing marketplace is astonishing.”
So what’s keeping businesses from doing more with their sites? “It seems that once small business owners have a Web site, they do not really know what to do with it so they ignore it,” Beal said.
With the help of our web solution, business owners can see the value of a well-designed, up-to-date Web presence. From those crucial e-commerce solutions to site promotion tools, the Web site we provide will be equipped with everything required to reach that ‘huge and growing marketplace’ Beal is talking about!
In some cases, the businesses had a Web site, but didn’t keep it up-to-date! In fact, 23% of the small business Web sites in the survey hadn’t been updated since their launch, meaning much of the content was obsolete or inaccurate. The average age of a Web site was 4 years—that’s a lot of time for a business to change inventory, focus and pricing!
The survey also found that only 8% of respondents had e-commerce technology on their Web sites. Here’s what Netflare’s Jon Beal had to say about those results:
“We were completely staggered by the tiny percentage of small business owners who were actively using their Web sites to generate sales.”
A majority of the small business owners indicated they wanted to use their Web site to increase sales. Beal said, “It is beyond comprehension that small business owners are ignoring one of the fastest growing sales opportunities there has ever been…the fact that small businesses are neglecting this huge and growing marketplace is astonishing.”
So what’s keeping businesses from doing more with their sites? “It seems that once small business owners have a Web site, they do not really know what to do with it so they ignore it,” Beal said.
With the help of our web solution, business owners can see the value of a well-designed, up-to-date Web presence. From those crucial e-commerce solutions to site promotion tools, the Web site we provide will be equipped with everything required to reach that ‘huge and growing marketplace’ Beal is talking about!
Did you know…
According to research by Harris Interactive and eMarketer, people aged 13-21 have a growing impact on purchasing decisions in their parents’ households!
As a matter of fact, teens as young as age 14 said they have debit cards or were using their parents’ credit cards to make online purchases. Kids said they had particular influence in business categories such as travel, clothing, movies/video games and books.
Do you have any prospects working in these business categories or others that would appeal to this demographic? If so, they need e-commerce solutions to keep up with the competition!
According to research by Harris Interactive and eMarketer, people aged 13-21 have a growing impact on purchasing decisions in their parents’ households!
As a matter of fact, teens as young as age 14 said they have debit cards or were using their parents’ credit cards to make online purchases. Kids said they had particular influence in business categories such as travel, clothing, movies/video games and books.
Do you have any prospects working in these business categories or others that would appeal to this demographic? If so, they need e-commerce solutions to keep up with the competition!
Did you know…
A recent Power Review Survey of retailers and merchants shows that 59% of respondents cited ‘customer experience’ as the most important factor in adding reviews to their site.
Moreover, 79% of those surveyed said their “Products” page is an effective place to show customer testimonials and reviews.
Finally, many of the merchants surveyed said they found that reviews answered questions that would otherwise be directed to customer service.
The business owner have the opportunity to create a site with a products page featuring testimonials! Doing so will improve your customers’ experience and cut back on the time and effort they invest in customer service! It’s just another example of what a Web site can do for your business!
A recent Power Review Survey of retailers and merchants shows that 59% of respondents cited ‘customer experience’ as the most important factor in adding reviews to their site.
Moreover, 79% of those surveyed said their “Products” page is an effective place to show customer testimonials and reviews.
Finally, many of the merchants surveyed said they found that reviews answered questions that would otherwise be directed to customer service.
The business owner have the opportunity to create a site with a products page featuring testimonials! Doing so will improve your customers’ experience and cut back on the time and effort they invest in customer service! It’s just another example of what a Web site can do for your business!
Did you know…
Recent findings from eMarketer and Media Audit indicate that cities with universities or colleges have higher populations of Internet users than cities without learning institutions.
“College towns topped (Media Audit’s) list of places with the highest number of Internet users,” according to the article.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is home to the University of Michigan, came in first place with 86% of adults online. Washington, D.C., which also hosts a number of major universities, is in second place with 84% and Colorado Springs, Colo., home of the US Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado, came in third with 83.7%.
Are you and your prospects located in a college town? If so, you’re surrounded by people who access the Internet for information—a Web site is mandatory for a small- or medium-sized business to survive!
Recent findings from eMarketer and Media Audit indicate that cities with universities or colleges have higher populations of Internet users than cities without learning institutions.
“College towns topped (Media Audit’s) list of places with the highest number of Internet users,” according to the article.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is home to the University of Michigan, came in first place with 86% of adults online. Washington, D.C., which also hosts a number of major universities, is in second place with 84% and Colorado Springs, Colo., home of the US Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado, came in third with 83.7%.
Are you and your prospects located in a college town? If so, you’re surrounded by people who access the Internet for information—a Web site is mandatory for a small- or medium-sized business to survive!
Check out what recently appeared in USA Today’s Ask an Expert Monday!
A reader named Phil wrote:
I know, I know, I am supposed to have a Web site. That said, as I have no plans to sell online, I just don't see the need for a site. My business has been around forever and we have done just fine without one. Am I wrong?
The expert—small-business author and lawyer Steve Strauss—responded with an anecdote that sounds like hundreds of thousands of others:
A few days ago on a busy school night, my wife called and asked me to pick up some dinner on the way home. She mentioned a restaurant we like…and asked me to look up their menu online so we could figure out what to get.
Yet try as I might, I couldn't find their Web site. It finally dawned on me that they did not have one. But since we had not been there in quite a while and could not remember everything on their menu, we decided to get dinner from another place.
This could be the case for any small- or medium-sized business whose owners have opted not to have a Web presence. Plenty of SMBs have lost business to a competitor without even knowing it!
Strauss continued:
Can you do e-commerce if you are not online? Nope. Can customers who hear about you check you out later on the Net if you don't have a site? No again. Can current customers (like I was) find out what your new offerings are if you lack a site? Not easily.
No matter what a business’ size, status or goals, there’s no way your Web solution won’t help it prosper!
I know, I know, I am supposed to have a Web site. That said, as I have no plans to sell online, I just don't see the need for a site. My business has been around forever and we have done just fine without one. Am I wrong?
The expert—small-business author and lawyer Steve Strauss—responded with an anecdote that sounds like hundreds of thousands of others:
A few days ago on a busy school night, my wife called and asked me to pick up some dinner on the way home. She mentioned a restaurant we like…and asked me to look up their menu online so we could figure out what to get.
Yet try as I might, I couldn't find their Web site. It finally dawned on me that they did not have one. But since we had not been there in quite a while and could not remember everything on their menu, we decided to get dinner from another place.
This could be the case for any small- or medium-sized business whose owners have opted not to have a Web presence. Plenty of SMBs have lost business to a competitor without even knowing it!
Strauss continued:
Can you do e-commerce if you are not online? Nope. Can customers who hear about you check you out later on the Net if you don't have a site? No again. Can current customers (like I was) find out what your new offerings are if you lack a site? Not easily.
No matter what a business’ size, status or goals, there’s no way your Web solution won’t help it prosper!
eMarketer reports that there will be 193.9 million Internet users in the US this year—that’s 2/3 of the population! The massive total of Web surfers is forecasted to continue climbing for the next four years (at least), so tell your prospective customers not to let anymore business slip through their fingers!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Gas Prices Affect Consumer Behavior!
Forty-nine percent of US consumers are reducing their spending to compensate for rising gas prices, according to the Center for Media Research and Nielsen Research. The article reports 70% of consumers are combining shopping trips and errands, 41% are eating out less and 39% are staying home more often.
“Our research shows a jump in consumers shopping on the Internet as a way to deal with high gas prices…a wake-up call for manufacturers and retailers alike to step up their ‘direct-to-consumer’ efforts to utilize the Internet to communicate directly with consumers in 2008…”
“Our research shows a jump in consumers shopping on the Internet as a way to deal with high gas prices…a wake-up call for manufacturers and retailers alike to step up their ‘direct-to-consumer’ efforts to utilize the Internet to communicate directly with consumers in 2008…”
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Why Small Businesses Need to Embrace the Internet!
One business writer at The Scotsman newspaper recently hailed the use of the Internet exclusively for holiday shopping after a successful experience.
“Would I do it again? Yes, and I can see the Internet becoming my new best shopping friend.”
In fact, the Scotsman’s writer pointed out, “Recent statistics show that online sales are set to quadruple (in the UK) over the next decade and I can totally understand why. To succeed in such highly competitive markets, small retailers need to be offering consumers something different to bring people through the front door. Small, independent retailers need to see the Internet as an opportunity not a threat, becoming e-tailers and creating Web sites that allow purchases to be made online.”
So why do small businesses need to leverage the Internet? Because consumers are expecting more online information, as The Scotsman explains:
“For consumers, the Internet has added a welcome new dimension to competition, as well as providing convenience for shoppers and new opportunities to compare prices and find new products.”
And any consumer appreciates the advantages of e-commerce:
“As a new devotee of online shopping, the huge benefits are easy to see, and it is not just because it can save time and money. The old fears about online security have been largely allayed, so peace of mind is greater than ever before.”
This true-to-life testimony just goes to show what kind of online experience consumers are seeking.
“Would I do it again? Yes, and I can see the Internet becoming my new best shopping friend.”
In fact, the Scotsman’s writer pointed out, “Recent statistics show that online sales are set to quadruple (in the UK) over the next decade and I can totally understand why. To succeed in such highly competitive markets, small retailers need to be offering consumers something different to bring people through the front door. Small, independent retailers need to see the Internet as an opportunity not a threat, becoming e-tailers and creating Web sites that allow purchases to be made online.”
So why do small businesses need to leverage the Internet? Because consumers are expecting more online information, as The Scotsman explains:
“For consumers, the Internet has added a welcome new dimension to competition, as well as providing convenience for shoppers and new opportunities to compare prices and find new products.”
And any consumer appreciates the advantages of e-commerce:
“As a new devotee of online shopping, the huge benefits are easy to see, and it is not just because it can save time and money. The old fears about online security have been largely allayed, so peace of mind is greater than ever before.”
This true-to-life testimony just goes to show what kind of online experience consumers are seeking.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Forrester Research
Forrester Research reports that over ¼ of all retail sales are either directly or indirectly influenced by the Internet. Additionally, offline sales that are somehow influenced by the Internet will hit $1 trillion in 2011, accounting for nearly ½ of all retail sales!
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