Shopping Carts In A Challenging Economy
In 2006 the Internet was second only to television in capturing adult media attention. By late 2008 almost one-third of all Internet users were age 55 and up. These changes, from a younger persons media to a more accepted mainstream media for everyone, means more purchasing power is available to the internet retailer. With the growth in the numbers of older adults using Internet services, escalating gas prices and a more firm movement towards Green, on-line shopping and the many Shopping Carts available to buyers today will only fuel its popularity and use. Although demographic research suggests that the higher the family income, the more likely they are to use on-line shopping, the above trends will no doubt start to affect that 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.
One of the impacts of the internet is a shift away from traditional paper based advertising methods to the internet. The associated higher costs associated with paper based advertising and the sharp eye on cost containment by financially weakened businesses is accelerating this trend. Other Social Advertising media such as Face Book, U-tube, Twitter and more are also available and their low or no cost access ads to the digital draw. Here’s why. Despite what we hear on the news about the economy we can loose sight of the fact that it is not bad everywhere. Look hard enough and you will find a bright spot, areas that continue to thrive; areas were people are still buying. The internet’s world wide reach means you can always gain access to that market. And as these markets of opportunity change and shift with new realities your internet and e-commerce presence means you will always be there for them when they decide to look for your product or service.
Just being on the internet ready with an e-commerce solution does not guarantee your success. If your shopping cart has auto-responder capabilities or the ability to automatically send out e-mails thanking your customers for buying and helping them get started, that’s a big plus. But today’s competitive reality means you need more. Everyone is eyeing the internet as a potential safety net but as in any business the individuals working the smartest will be the ones that are most successful. First of all we have to acknowledge that there are two types of buyers. The people ready right now and the people looking to gather information for a future decision. Your success in the now market will be a function of your website, e-commerce solution and marketing strategy when they arrive at the site. Your future shoppers are more of a challenge. They are surfing to gather as much information as they can on their particular area of interest. Once they’ve visited your site you need to begin a multi-media approach of educating and training them on your product or service and provide them the validation they need to accept the fact that your solution is the best and you are recognized as an expert in your area. In this case you need to engage the services of a different expert in marketing. For an example of a company with these credentials check out www.AutomatedMarketingSolutions.com. The social networks such as Face Book, U-tube, Twitter and others are excellent for staying in touch with your prospective market when you want to see how your product or service is being received, for testing ideas and to keep up to date with any negative service issues as they arise. The most important thing to remember is to not limit yourself in how you reach out to your prospects and do not limit the ways they can stay in touch with you.
Given the impressions we all may have about larger companies we can still learn much. For example a report released in February 2009 discussed the top 10 priorities CMO or Chief Marketing Officers in America were considering as their top 10 priorities for this year. Number 2 on this list was the need to develop marketing programs that integrate both the internet and their traditional media. Doing this provides advertising cost cutting and reduces other overheads. These same advantages accrue to the small to medium business as well as the entrepreneurs working out of their home. The simplicity with which an on-line enterprise to advertise, buy and sell over the internet can be set up brings it within reach of more and more of us looking for that second income. What will differentiate us and our success will be how effective we are in using these tools to attract, convert and retain.