*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a small business story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.
As a small business owner who sells online, it's essential for me to keep current on both online retail trends and online retail data. To keep competitive, I need to know what people are doing online and also specific information about what and where they are buying, or not buying. Small business owners can use online retail trends to better match their website, products and marketing campaign to what people are really doing now.
When we began seeing trends toward people using smart phones more for web browsing and e-commerce, we made sure we designed a site optimized for those devices. When we realized another trend was viewing websites on HDTVs, we designed another version of our website optimized for HDTVs. We saw the trend, we adjusted our business plan to accommodate it, and now we see increased revenue as a result.
Online retail data refers to specific numbers, dollars and information about online sales. This might be the total dollars being spent online, amounts spend at specific websites or during certain selling seasons and more. As we sell different items on our site through third party retailers we are able to choose which items are offered. We review online retail data to determine which items and types of items sell best, so we can offer them on our site.
Small business owners can use online retail data to see what customers are buying and where they are spending their money. This data can also be used for advertising and marketing purposes. If you plan on advertising your small business you can research which websites are the most popular, with great specificity to your audience. Or if your small business manufactures products, you can determine which sites have the highest sales volume for your type of product, to then analyze the data compared to the commission they charge.
More from this contributor:
Using Facebook To Improve Your Personal Finances
It's Time To Change Your Financial Thinking
Differences Between Roth and Traditional IRAs
As a small business owner who sells online, it's essential for me to keep current on both online retail trends and online retail data. To keep competitive, I need to know what people are doing online and also specific information about what and where they are buying, or not buying. Small business owners can use online retail trends to better match their website, products and marketing campaign to what people are really doing now.
When we began seeing trends toward people using smart phones more for web browsing and e-commerce, we made sure we designed a site optimized for those devices. When we realized another trend was viewing websites on HDTVs, we designed another version of our website optimized for HDTVs. We saw the trend, we adjusted our business plan to accommodate it, and now we see increased revenue as a result.
Online retail data refers to specific numbers, dollars and information about online sales. This might be the total dollars being spent online, amounts spend at specific websites or during certain selling seasons and more. As we sell different items on our site through third party retailers we are able to choose which items are offered. We review online retail data to determine which items and types of items sell best, so we can offer them on our site.
Small business owners can use online retail data to see what customers are buying and where they are spending their money. This data can also be used for advertising and marketing purposes. If you plan on advertising your small business you can research which websites are the most popular, with great specificity to your audience. Or if your small business manufactures products, you can determine which sites have the highest sales volume for your type of product, to then analyze the data compared to the commission they charge.
More from this contributor:
Using Facebook To Improve Your Personal Finances
It's Time To Change Your Financial Thinking
Differences Between Roth and Traditional IRAs
Published by Ted Sherman - Featured Contributor in Business & Finance
Navy service WWII and Korea, BFA, MA. Retired, experience: exec. speechwriter, advertising, sales promotion, PR, graphic art, photography, travel and humor writing. Follow me: @travel4seniors, Editor of tra... View profile
- Budget Marketing for the Online RetailerYou want to attract visitors, but don't have much money toward serious online advertising, where you expect to find the bulk of your business. Does this mean your site is doomed to obscurity while the big players reap...
Emerging E-Commerce Business Trends for 2011As the U.S. economy pulls out of the recession, customers are more savvy with new tools and technology at their disposal. E-commerce businesses should keep a watch on these emer...- To Know and Understand Consumers Concerns in Online ShoppingConsumers have different reasons and ways of accessing online stores to shop for personal items. Both consumers and store owners must be very aware of the cost-benefit factor for success. Online Security and Privacy a...
- Business Owners Can Use the Power of the Internet to Attract Offline and Online Cu...As an offline business owner from 1988 - 1993 and online business owner since the year 2000; I have been on both sides of the fence and have found a happy co-existence when it comes to attracting customers.
- Best Sales Advice for New Small Business Owners and Agents OnlineNew online small businesses are advised that there are important factors that can help in their success. Integrity is the most important and a secure online transaction in critical. Real success is possible.
- Tips on Training Retail Employees
- Survey: Free Shipping, Returns and Special Deals Attract More Shoppers Online
- Essential Reminders for Small Business Owners in the 2011 New Year
- 10 Habits of Highly Successful Small Business Owners
- Small Business Insurance
- Online Money Remittance and Foreign Exchange Transfer: Caveat Emptor
- Small Business Owners: Tip for Advertising Your New Product


