The recession's caused a lot of small businesses to, in Star Trek parlance, "raise shields." But just as Captains Kirk, Picard, and Sisko (never mind the others) wouldn't usually then order the engines shut off, it seems that small businesses are sticking with their online retail plans.
Forrester Research recently took a look at the issue and the National Retail Federation relayed some findings. From worst to best, its statement reported, "[N]early one-third of companies (30%) are spending less than originally planned on web retail operations this year . . . . Almost half of retailers surveyed (46%) have no plans to cut back original budgets and will spend as planned on their web business, while one in four retailers (24%) will spend more on their online business than originally planned."
And since we know why certain companies are cutting back, it seems more productive to take a look at how the bolder firms are moving forward.
The NRF statement continued, "Companies planning to spend more will increase investments in several areas, including search (80% of respondents), email (65%), and social marketing (60%)." Customer retention and customer acquisition are both key reasons.
Assuming sticking with your online retail operation is the right thing to do in your situation, hopefully this info will provide a little reassurance.
The Impact of Mobile on the HolidaysForrester Predicts 10% Growth Rate For Online RetailTake Advantage of E-Commerce Spending GrowthPart 2: Holiday Trends for 2009Retail Industry Sales Rise In JulyNRF, eBay Connect To Fight Retail CrimeRetail Sales Numbers Mixed In JuneRetail Spending Found To Dip In MayHow Businesses Can Capitalize on New Consumer TrendsBlack Friday Boom Forecast
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Business Owners Need To Be Self Reliant
Being a small business owner myself, and having been fortunate enough to be in a position to spend the last two and a half years studying and implementing online business stratergies
I realize more than ever, how important it is for the small business owner to get faniliar with creating an online identity.
these days I speak to quite a few business owners who would love to manage their own web presence but really dont have a clue where to start.
They are intimidated by the technical learning curve that is involved
I caught on very early in my online education that using a blog (wordpress In Particular) was a very smart move.
The benefits of using this type of website allow you to cover so much ground on the internet that you would never have had the time or opportunity to do if you were to use a standard type html site.
I love the power and freedom of using a blog and all of the extra traffic that it brings to my site.
And with the right help, the learning curve can be quite minimal.
If you own a business and are not using wordpress then you are missing out on income for your business.
At the risk of this sounding like a plug I do have a free report explaining how anyone can set up their own website using wordpress.
It's true...
As a web site owner of safety and security products, I'd have to agree that search, email and social marketing are my main areas of spending to help my business grow. Thanks, Doug, for that reassurance.
Although job turnover is
Although job turnover is relatively low in managerial occupations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) projects that there will continue to be job openings in retail management as other supervisors move on to higher levels of management and to other companies.
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