February 2006 - Small Business News

Are You Taking Advantage of Soaring Online Shopping?
 

If you are one of the 24% of small businesses that are taking advantage of the growing online shopping market then the odds are that you have increased your customer base and had increased growth over the Christmas and New Year period.

Yet despite the 50% increase in online sales during the holidays, statistics from BT show that 76% of small businesses were unable to capitalise on the billions of pounds that were spent; as they either had no website or a site with no e-commerce capabilities.

With the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) forecasting a 36% growth in e-retail sales for 2006; there has never been a better time for your business to take advantage.

IMRG's CEO, James Roper, said: "A surprising number of goods are still either hard to find or unavailable online. Large gaps exist in the supply market, such as high-end fashion and real estate. Even leading retailers often only make a small proportion of their total inventory available online, and many don't bother with spares at all. So huge growth potential remains for the merchants who plug these holes."

The evidence is clear to see, small businesses that have online retail sites are gaining new customers and sales faster than businesses that do not. With the costs and complications of a retail website lower than ever before, why not find out whether your business could benefit?

 

For more information on websites and how they can help your business visit our Internet and Technology portal here.