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The E-Commerce Wrap: Online Holiday Shopping for 2006
November 14, 2006
by AJ Fanter
Business Programs Columnist
E-commerce sites had much to celebrate last December. Despite rising gas and home heating costs, the 2005 holiday shopping season was very good for those in online sales. According to the E-Commerce Times, many e-commerce retailers experienced double-digit growth driven by the huge numbers of consumers buying online.
E-commerce companies have a right to be optimistic about the future, but what is the outlook for the 2006 online holiday shopping season?
E-Commerce Success in 2005
While savvy internet marketing strategies played an important role for the success of the 2005 holiday shopping season, the excellent customer service during 2005 (64% of online shoppers reported they were very or somewhat satisfied with their e-commerce experience) will most likely keep customers coming back for more in 2006.
James P. Deblasio, president and CEO of traffic-routing company Internap, believes that a successful 2005 online holiday shopping experience has created higher consumer expectations for this year. "Customers expect a smoother, quicker and more reliable online-shopping experience to guarantee repeat visits," DeBlasio told the E-Commerce Times. "Retailers need to pay close attention to Web-site availability and response time, in particular, as more customers transition towards online shopping; become loyal, regular shoppers at certain sites; and purchase items more frequently."
Extending the E-Commerce Holiday Season
While the majority of e-commerce sites noted that business peaked during the second week of December 2005, sales continued through the remainder of the month with consumers spending a total of 30% more this year than last. This extended holiday buying trend has led many online retailers to rethink their marketing strategies for 2006 by extending the holiday season both before and after the holidays.
Bluefly.com, a successful online apparel company, is one company that is implementing a new marketing strategy to take advantage of the longer buying season. CEO Melissa Payner told the E-Commerce Times, "We learned that the holiday period begins much earlier and extends later than it ever did historically," Payner said. "Many e-tailers slow down the week after Christmas; this is an oversight. The holiday season really extends into early January."
Holiday E-Commerce Issues
While most online holiday shoppers were satisfied with their e-commerce experience, 6% reported that they were dissatisfied due to the unavailability of product, excessive shipping charges, insufficient product information, and the inability to locate the product online. "Merchants are coming to the realization that if they're going to do significant volume online, it makes sense to invest in fulfillment, inventory control, point of sale and accounting to get the maximum efficiency," said Bob LaGarde, the CEO of software and service firm LaGarde.
E-Commerce Degrees
If the idea of having a career in this fast growing sector of the retail industry sounds like something you'd enjoy, it's important to know that there are many online degree programs available for those looking to study both internet marketing and e-commerce. In the process of getting your e-commerce degree, you'll learn how to plan, manage, market, and supervise an e-business.
Coursework typically includes a mix of traditional and e-commerce classes that include web design, internet marketing, Internet law, information services, enterprise operations, and product and service networking. In other words, you learn the skills that will help you to plan for and address the problems those "dissatisfied customers" experienced during the 2005 holiday season.
If you're looking for a great career that promises to grow exponentially in the coming years, maybe it's time to consider getting your degree in e-commerce. Get started today by using the school directory on this site to research the many schools that offer e-commerce programs.
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About the Author
AJ Fanter is a freelance writer based in Reno, NV.
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