The internet has created an entirely new way for companies to conduct marketing and sales. Along with this comes the process of using marketing to influence the customers online experience so that the end result is a sale. The internet has changed the sales and marketing process from small businesses to large enterprises.
Online sales can not only increase sales for a business it is also very appealing for consumers. According to an article in Time Magazine online “rising financial anxiety and tight credit availability are making holiday shopping this year an exercise in self-restraint, and the web offers a quick, clean shot at purchasing 24 hours a day. Bargain hunting for the best value is a convenient mouse click away. That's an easier proposition for many than slogging to the mall and fighting traffic, crowds and parking problems. Comparison shopping online dwarfs what you can do in the real world. You just open up six browsers."(Time Magazine) This convenience is one reason that the holiday season for 2008 is expected to produce higher growth of online sales than that of brick and mortar stores. In fact “the internet should outdo the sidewalk in delivering sales growth: holiday forecasts predict zero to 2.2% overall sales gains for November and December, according to respective estimates by Bain & Co. and the National Retail Federation (NRF), the world's largest retail trade association. By comparison, online retail sales are expected to grow 12%, to $44 billion, according to Forrester Research.”(Time Magazine) Businesses that have user friendly, easy to navigate web sites seem to do the best overall. Another way to attract consumers to purchase online is to offer free shipping. This can really be beneficial to the business that is offering it as some consumers may refrain from shopping on
Cited: Dell, K. Will Online Sales Brighten a Bleak Holiday Season? Time.com Retrieved December 5, 2008 from http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1858082,00.html?cnn=yes Duermyer, R. Internet Marketing 101 About.com Retrieved December 2, 2008 from http://homebusiness.about.com/od/marketingadvertising/a/IMarketing101.htm Ecommerce Sales Lost Due to Security Concerns of U.S. Adults Payment News.com Retrieved December 10, 2008 from http://www.paymentsnews.com/2006/11/ecommerce_sales.html Efthymios Constantinides (2004). Influencing the online consumer 's behavior: the Web experience. Internet Research, 14(2), 111-126. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Sciences Module database. (Document ID: 638720011).