If you’ve been sitting on the fence when it comes to social media and online marketing, it may be time to finally pick a side. The fact is, online shopping isn’t some flash in the pan fad that’s going to disappear anytime soon. The numbers for online shopping continue to grow year upon year, making online retailing a permanent fixture in the business landscape.
The statistics for online shopping have proven to be surprising for many, especially for those who felt their industry simply wouldn’t translate well into the online and mobile marketplace. Some companies felt what they offered simply needed to be seen or touched in order to sell with products ranging from collectible books to clothing and food. Today, though, there are several websites and mobile small business app options that cater to these exact products.
- As of 2015, online sales made up nearly 10% of the total retail purchases throughout the country, raking in a staggering $220 billion. That number is expected to exceed $370 billion by 2017.
- Over the in UK, online sales make up around 13% of the total economy and that’s expected to swell to 15% by 2017.
- On the social media landscape, talking about shopping becomes a trend on Twitter before October.
- Fully half of all social media sales come within a week of someone posting, tweeting, liking or otherwise sharing a product they want or are interested in.
With growth like this, it’s easy to see how online and mobile selling platforms can easily influence the success — or failure — of any business. Companies that invest in retail sales analysis software can track the channels in which more sales happen and better target that demographic, enabling their sales and marketing teams to work leaner and more effectively. So if you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s time to make the jump into the world of social media marketing, consider yourself notified. The future is here, the future is now — and the future is online.
