Hostway
Survey Forecasts Strong 2005 E-Commerce Opportunities
for Small, Mid-Sized Retailers [December 21,
2004]
CHICAGO,
Dec 21, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- For small and
mid-sized retailers without a Web site, making a resolution
for 2005 should be easy -- join the Internet e-commerce
revolution.
According to a national survey sponsored
by Web-hosting leader Hostway Corp., online shopping
has become an accepted facet of everyday life. The national
study of 2,500 consumers found that more than 90 percent
of consumers have purchased products or services online,
and the vast majority report that they are satisfied
with their e-commerce experiences.
Even more telling is the fact that many
of these consumers are just as willing to buy from small
online retailers as they are from larger, national e-commerce
providers. Three-fourths of consumers who have shopped
Web sites of both large and small companies said size
is not a factor in satisfying their online shopping
needs.
"This survey is proof of the increasing
acceptance of shopping online and the increasingly positive
attitudes towards small businesses," said John
Lee, Hostway's vice president of marketing. "With
industry analysts forecasting continued growth in online
consumer spending in 2005, we believe smaller online
retailers should be prepared to capture a bigger slice
of the e-commerce pie."
According to the most recent statistics
released by the U.S. Small Business Administration,
there are approximately 23 million small businesses
in the United States. Of these businesses, approximately
70 percent had or planned on having a Web site by the
end of the 2004, as reported in an April 2004 Harris
Interactive survey.
"The Internet is helping to level
the playing field, allowing small and medium-size companies
to compete with the giants," added Lee. "There's
still time to build a Web presence and take advantage
of the e-commerce explosion."
The e-commerce survey, conducted recently
for Hostway by market research firm TNS, also found
that nearly half of consumers (48 percent) will buy
from an online retailer that does not have a physical
presence, which opens the door for purely Web-based
businesses.
About Hostway
Hostway Corporation provides Web hosting
and managed services to more than 300,000 customers
worldwide. Hostway helps individuals, small businesses
and large enterprises achieve more value from state-of-the-art
Web-based technologies by reducing their complexity
and cost. Founded in 1998, Hostway is one of the five
largest Web hosting companies in the world with offices
in North America (Chicago, Tampa and Vancouver), Europe
(London and Amsterdam) Asia (Seoul) and Australia (Sydney).
For more information about Hostway Corporation, please
visit http://www.hostway.com or call 1-888-290-5170.
About TNS
TNS is one of the world's leading market
information groups, providing market measurement, analysis
and insight through its operating companies in 70 countries.
Working with national and multi-national organizations,
TNS helps its clients develop effective business strategies
and enhance relationships with their customers. In July
2003, the group merged with NFO WorldGroup, Inc. For
more information about TNS, please visit http://www.tns-global.com
.
Survey Methodology
TNS conducted the survey online on behalf
of Hostway Corporation between November 10 and 13, 2004
among a nationally representative sample of 2,507 U.S.
adults, aged 18 and older selected from TNS-NFO ACCESS
panel. For more information on survey methodology, please
contact Tina Janczura at Tina.Janczura@slackbarshinger.com
Contact: Tina Janczura, Tina.Janczura@slackbarshinger.com,
312.970.5841
Lauria Locsmondy, Lauria.Locsmondy@hostwaycorp.com,
312.994.7720
SOURCE Hostway Corporation
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