11th in a series about website basics

E-COMMERCE: CHECK IT OUT!

Ever bought something on line? You’re part of the burgeoning world of e-commerce; part of recent studies!  According to data from Forrester Research:

• \tIn 2011, 54% of people in the U.S made a purchase on the Internet.
• \tOnline sales are foreseen to increase from $202 billion in 2011 to $327 billion by 2016.

As the owner of a website, if you’ve got a product or service that you want to sell, you may have already thought about some of the advantages:

• \tLower costs for order taking and for customer service in filling orders

• \tAutomated business tasks can be done 24/7

• \tOpportunity to sell more, as customers can easily find other similar products, and if your site offers reviews, satisfied customers can help increase sales!

• \tMore information for the customer, regarding tracking orders and available on-line help

• \tLarger catalogs are possible. Imagine if Amazon.com or other huge online retailers had to create and mail a catalog of their products. NOT happening!

• \tAutomated customer care, with customized email follow-ups and information about sales events and product information

• \tPotential customers can shop and browse whenever they want. The idea of going shopping while you’re home in the comfort of your PJs seems ubiquitous today, although I’ve seen statistics about online shopping that indicate more of it takes place during the week than on the weekends – and- most of that, on Mondays. Hmm . .  . Could that perhaps indicate people are using online retail therapy as a curative for the proverbial Monday morning blues?

Next: More about e-commerce