about
company our thoughtprocess news careers faqs thinkubator (the blog)- questions?
- drop us a note
- 314.853.5241
media release
E-Commerce Solutions hold promise for business owners
Online shopping for goods and services expands despite sluggish in-store sales
ST. LOUIS - In an economy where every penny counts, local business owners are increasingly focused on finding effective and cost-efficient ways to lure cash-strapped customers - and keep them coming back for more. According to retail sales and consumer spending experts, the answer may be online.
Figures released from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index for March 2009 show that online spending continues to expand despite a sluggish economy and tightened in-store sales. "There's been remarkable business opportunity online for years," said James Fawcett, creative director at St. Louis based interactive marketing and web development firm, Thoughtprocess Interactive. "But the current state of the economy has really upped the ante in terms of what you can accomplish on the web."
In light of soaring energy prices and a nationwide budget crunch, consumers cite factors like easy price comparisons, availability of detailed product information and convenience as reasons for the significant shift to the web. "Not surprisingly, savvy business owners who've made good use of e-commerce solutions on their websites are especially well-positioned to keep their head above water right now," said Fawcett.
However, just having an online store is no guarantee of success. According to the results of an August 2008 survey from Harris Interactive, 41% of adults who experience problems during an online transaction will switch to a competitor or abandon the sale entirely if they have trouble navigating the site or completing the checkout process. "Online shoppers are extremely sensitive to anything that might complicate the process," said Fawcett. "That's why it's very important to make sure you're doing all you can to streamline things - especially given the fact that the stakes are a bit higher these days."
Fawcett says business owners would be amazed by the difference that relatively simple things like removing barriers from the application or checkout process and optimizing content for search engines can make on traffic and conversion rates - even for the sale of professional services as opposed to consumer products. "One of our recent clients actually increased traffic on his landscaping services site by over 25% after we optimized content and structure for the search engines. To date, he's experienced more than a 12 fold increase in leads generated through the website."
Perhaps most importantly, the return of investment for web upgrades of nearly any stripe is such that it functions as one of the best possible options for budget-conscious business owners. "What's great about investing in your business's online presence is that it's not just a short term solution," said Fawcett. "It's an investment that's going to continue to pay dividends well after the crisis has been averted."
###
related projects
get on the list
Subscribe to our newsletter to get in the know.