A Bright Spot for the Economy – Smaller Businesses' E-Commerce
By David Feldman at 19 December, 2008, 4:12 am
No doubt you’ve heard countless reports regarding online retail sales, however one sector of the industry has not garnered the same amount of press as the traditional Fortune 500 companies: small businesses. Considering that the long-tail makes up a considerable portion of the economic well-being, I thought this was an important statistic to follow. Thankfully the Holiday Season has been positive for small to medium sized companies. Network Solutions announced today that its e-commerce customers saw a collective 10% year-over-year increase in sales on Cyber Monday, the highly anticipated start of online holiday shopping. While retailers across the country reported slow same-store sales, smaller online entrepreneurs enjoyed a jump in holiday sales this year, with more consumers shopping online in greater numbers.
As many brick-and-mortar shop owners struggle with increased costs and shrinking in-store sales, small businesses with e-commerce sites are augmenting their revenues with online sales. As more consumers search Google® first to find bargains and products, local small businesses with properly marketed Web sites are benefiting from national exposure. According to a report from iProspect and Jupiter Research, 62 percent of searchers click on a link within the first page of results. Having an e-Commerce Web site and using search engine optimization tools from Network Solutions, small businesses have secured new audiences to increase holiday sales.
“With small businesses across the country struggling, Network Solutions is excited to see that our e-commerce customers are benefiting from greater exposure,” said Scott Ableman, Chief Marketing Officer at Network Solutions. “Whether you own a small shop or work out of your home, having a professional web site is an economical way to build sales during tough times.”
Let’s never forget that the vast majority of business in our country is generated by its smallest businesses. Hope you’re listening, Ms. Schapiro!
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