| More small business retailers are coming online to | | | | supports and proves the fact. |
| compete with the big players. Has a decline of | | | | It's hard to argue with that mentality and lack of |
| in-store profits caused this latest trend? Research of | | | | awareness. After all a retail store should know their |
| increasing online spending? Social proof? Or could it be | | | | customer far better than a pair of web consultants. |
| a new generation of e-commerce hosting solutions? | | | | We'd thank them for the time, leave our card, and |
| Although the internet has been a hub of activity for | | | | move on - knowing they'd be calling some time in the |
| the last ten years there are thousands of retail | | | | near future. |
| stores - perhaps tens of thousands in your own | | | | That time has come to pass. |
| community - who have not yet ventured into | | | | In the last month (January, 2008), eighty percent of |
| e-commerce or an e-commerce hosting solution. | | | | the shop owners we'd spoken with just a month |
| Yet the last four years have seen massive growth in | | | | before, picked up our business card and called. Eighty |
| online spending, increasing annually by approximately | | | | percent in thirty days - they're now ready to learn |
| 20%. Current estimates place e-commerce at $200 | | | | more about taking their business online. |
| billion for all of 2007, just within our American | | | | What Changed 80% of Retail Store Owners Opinions |
| borders. | | | | on E-commerce? |
| Given the huge potential, what could be holding all | | | | In all cases combating the lack of knowledge and |
| those retailers back from becoming successful | | | | changing beliefs transpired as a result of research, a |
| e-tailers - especially when an e-commerce hosting | | | | decline in annual retail profit, and social proof. |
| solution is both affordable and manageable? | | | | In some cases the retail store owners began new |
| As an internet consultant working closely with | | | | conversations with their customers. They found that |
| authors, service providers, merchandisers, and | | | | their customers were actually shopping for, or |
| retailers for the last ten years, my perspective is | | | | researching products, online. Products that might have |
| that it all comes down to two core deterrents. | | | | been purchased in the retail store were now being |
| Knowledge-belief or money-time. | | | | purchased from another merchant, online. |
| Lack of Knowledge or Belief in the Internet Economy | | | | Other retail store owners talked to 'the business next |
| Until just recently, as retail stores noticed a decrease | | | | door' - in some cases their competition - who had |
| in annual profit, the majority of small business owners | | | | owned an e-commerce capable website for the past |
| had limited awareness and interest in the increase of | | | | year or more. Retailers turned e-tailers - who were |
| online spending. | | | | doing well and happily sending out packages to new |
| Subsequent meetings with retail stores netted similar | | | | customers secured from their websites. |
| responses of disbelief to our call to action: "Your | | | | Still others had engaged in or investigated on their |
| business income could increase by 10-100% by | | | | own, media research (newspaper, television) on the |
| offering your products for sale online." | | | | state of the economy and e-commerce. The |
| "My customers," they'd state, "aren't using the | | | | numbers alone convinced them it was time to make |
| internet that way." | | | | the move towards e-tailing. |
| In reality, it was the shop owner who wasn't using | | | | Expect to see an increase in small business websites |
| the internet 'that way'. Their customers were most | | | | in 2008 as a result of defeating the deterrents of |
| certainly shopping online, at competitor's websites. | | | | e-commerce. |
| Research in ecommerce over the last four years | | | | |