High gas prices, faster computers, a broken economy and hungry merchants are going to make 2008 the best year ever for online shopping. It no longer makes sense to drive to a distant mall to do your minor or major shopping. Why spend $50 on gas to buy $100’s worth of merchandise, when you can sit at home and shop online 24/7. I believe this year’s; “Spring”, “Back to School” and “Holiday” sales should rewrite the record books. It is hard to imagine that, according to Pew Research 66% of all online Americans say they have purchased a product online. They also go on to report that on any given day 26% of internet users are doing something online related to e-commerce, with a staggering 93% of all internet users saying they have used the internet for some e-commerce activity in the past.
With merchants hungry for your business and the economy in a tail spin, the bargains are going to be all over the internet in the months to come. In fact, there may very well be a number of merchants who give up on their current shopping mall locations and put their efforts into their e-commerce websites. The current economic conditions may very well reshape the way many American consumers buy their products and services for years to come. With food costs soaring, airline travel beyond reason and no one having a crystal ball that will tell us when it is going to get better – something has to give. There is less money in my wallet and looking for a bargain in everything I buy is going to be a fact of life. I really didn’t understand the power of online shopping until the project I have been working on the past several months introduced me to the affiliate network of merchants.
These are merchants who agree to share a percentage of an online sale with the organization that referred the shopper to them. They are also merchants who actively promote online coupons, special discount codes, internet only specials and free shipping. Their overall objective is to increase their online sales by developing a loyal customer base who will buy from them numerous times. In the world of business it’s not the one purchase a customer makes from you, it’s the “Life Time Value” of that customer, that’s important. You local grocery store doesn’t survive on that gallon of milk you purchased the other day, they survive on the number of times you have been in the store to make a variety of purchases. Imagine the dollar value of the merchandise you have bought from them over the past 12 months. My Advice - Buckle up! I think the internet is getting ready to “Rock & Roll” and consumer and business spending habits will be changed forever.
Don Hays has been working with businesses on a regular basis for over 25 years as a college teacher and consultant. Recently he was hired to help develop an affiliate website at www.captainfundraiser.com which is a shopping site that channels 100% of the money paid out by the merchant back to the shopper. Then the shopper can keep the money or donate it to a worthy cause on the site. It’s an innovative website with a giving component built on the web 2.0 platform.