Statistics

The Influence of Search on In-Store Purchasing

In 2005, less than 5% of all retail sales was eCommerce. That means that 95% was catalog and in-store sales.

Of in-store sales, almost 70% was influenced by research on the Internet before going to the store to buy. In the consumer electronics space, almost 90% of purchases were influenced by the research on the web.

We've heard that the consumer is overwhelmed by the local nursery and garden center. Might using the Internet to research your store break-down the barrier to entry for the consumer?

Might a portfolio of images of 'Outdoor Living Spaces' be an influential idea generator for landscaping services.

These are ideas that are inexpensive to implement, and ones you can take to the bank.

If you are one of the ones that says (or thinks) "I don't sell on the Internet, so I don't need to advertise or have a web site", then you SERIOUSLY need to reconsider the facts.

Here is a chart that shows the influence of the Internet on local in-store purchasing.

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Here is a recent article from the New York Times titled: Small Companies Are Finding A Home On The Web.

One of the quotes in the article that caught my eye was this:
"In its first survey of small-business Web sites last April, Jupiter Research found that just 36 percent of all businesses with fewer than 100 employees had a Web presence.

So don't just run out to your nephew and post a half-baked web site. Make it a professional representation of who you are, and the way you do business, and it will significantly influence in-store purchasing.

Do you have a web site that you feel is professional? Please share it with us.

Thanks for sharing.

Steve