Internet Influences In-Store Shopping

Did you know…

ShopLocal’s December Shopping Index has been released, and it shows that the Internet has a heavy influence on in-store shopping. ShopLocal CEO Vikram Sharma said, “The index reflects the growing use of the Internet by consumers and retailers to connect at the store…For retailers it is a timely, far-reaching and cost-effective way to present offers to consumers who appreciate the convenience of a more informed shopping trip.”

Sharma’s statement reflects the exact reason why every business needs a Web site. Consumers are doing more and more research, and their expectations about information availability are higher than ever. But your Web site solution offers business owners the opportunity to reach out to consumers…without exhausting their resources!

Internet to Influence 1/2 of all Retail Sales

Forrester Research reports that over ¼ of all retail sales are either directly or indirectly influenced by the Internet. Additionally, offline sales that are somehow influenced by the Internet will hit $1 trillion in 2011, accounting for nearly ½ of all retail sales!

This research is important—it shows just how imperative it is to have an online presence, and the need only increases as time marches on!

"Go Green" with Online Advertising & Web Site

Did you know that a Web site is not only a more effective way to drive customers to your business, but a more eco-friendly method as well!

In an effort to “Go Green,” many people are seeking to discontinue the delivery of their Yellow Pages and similar telephone directories. Experts attribute this movement to an emerging generation that prefers to use online and mobile resources when searching for businesses. And why not? Online research is faster, friendlier and provides more information in a fraction of the time!

“Yellow Page usage among people say, below (age) 50, will drop to zero or near zero over the next five years,” Bill Gates said at a summit in May of last year. "... people use the Internet approximately fifteen to one (15:1) over the phone book and other sources of consumer research. That's an increase from an estimated 7:1 just a few years ago" according to Tom Elliott in his book "Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy". Businesses will have to adapt to these new online methods as the phone book becomes obsolete.

This method is “faster and more efficient and helps preserve the planet’s resources,” according to Geoff Wilson at Pseudofish.com. And how much of the planet’s resources could be saved in this effort? Environmentalist Larry West writes that, according to Green Valley Recycling in Los Gatos, Calif., and Modesto’s Parks and Recreation Department, if every American recycled their phone books for a year:

• We would save up to 650,000 tons of paper
• Free up to 2 million cubic yards of landfill space

And, for every 500 phone books recycled, we could save:

• 7,000 gallons of water
• 17-31 trees
• 4,100 kilowatts of electricity—enough to power an average home for six months.

Online Shopping from Work - E-commerce

Did you know…

eMarketer reports that Burst Media’s Online Insights study shows more than a quarter of at-work Web surfing unrelated to work is dedicated to online shopping. The numbers show that 31.7% of respondents spent time at work actually making a purchase, while researching and comparing prices weren’t far behind at 26.6% and 25.8%.

By having a Web site with e-commerce capabilities, your clients can reach those Web-surfing workers! It’s just another way that an effective Web presence allows for a wider customer base! WebDrafter.com can help with all your e-commerce needs. Call 866-421-3723 or visit www.webdrafter.com today for a free quote/consultation.

Biggest Online Spending Day in History

Green Monday lives up to its name!

Green Monday (December 10) was the heaviest online spending day of the season! In fact, the second Monday in December (which earned its nickname from eBay after massive profits last year) was the heaviest online spending day in history, according to comScore! How much was spent? comScore estimates $881 million.

If you are a business owner without a web presence you are missing your piece of the pie. Don't fret, it isn't too late. The online population isn’t done growing, that total is only going to rise! Online Marketing, websites and e-commerce are here to stay!

Call Webdrafter.com today for a free consultation on taking your business to the next level!

Webinar for Business Owners: Website Advertising, Search Engines etc

On January 23, 2008, Tom Elliott will be presenting a 90 minute session about Websites and doing business on the Internet. The seminar will be in a Web environment (Webinar) and will cover topics that directly impact your business's success online.

The topic will be geared for a non-technical audience, so the session will be easy to understand for a wide variety of business owners who may not be familiar or comfortable with Websites and the Internet. Expect to learn what is important about Search Engines, Website advertising, e-commerce security, and overall business practices on the Web. Bring your questions: This will be a small group and everyone will be able to interact on a telephone conference call while you view Tom's actual computer screen on your own computer.

Visit http://www.website411book.biz/411_intro_webinars.html for more information on the seminar (Webinar) and be sure to subscribe to Tom's Training calendar for upcoming Website, e-commerce, and search engine marketing topics. Attendance is limited, so do not delay in reserving your seat today!

Be sure to check out his newly published book, Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy, available at www.website411book.com.

National Directory of Web Solution Providers

National Directory of Web Solution Providers

Commensurate with the publishing of his book, “Website 411 - Business Survival in an Internet Economy,” author Thomas M. Elliott has also launched his National Directory of Web Solution Providers.

Tom has been developing websites and working in the internet marketing, e-commerce, and search engine optimization fields for several years with his company www.webdrafter.com, and the publishing of his book (available at www.website411book.com) is only the latest example of his committment to educating today’s business owner on the power of the internet and the value of web presence and internet marketing. To anyone considering the impact a website and internet marketing can have on their business, Website 411 is a must read.

Along with the publishing of the book, Tom has also launched the Website411 book Website. Included in this website is not only access to purchase your own copy of Website 411, but also numerous special features - some available only to those that purchase the e-book version - as well as the National Directory of Website Solution Providers.

This directory is a useful tool for all business owners looking to find a quality developers in their local area. All web developers are welcome to visit www.website411book.com and apply to the directory. All listed developers work samples are reviewed and must be approved prior to listing.

Text Message Marketing: How to Create Your Own Campaign

Creating Your Own Text Marketing Campaign
by Tom Elliott

We live in a crazy world, don't we? Everyone races around day-to-day, each with their own agenda, and everyone's day is packed with persuasive advertisements, junk mail, email spam, TV commercials, and sales pitches. Wouldn't it be nice to just get the information you WANT, rather than to have a bunch of useless propaganda forced upon you?

Welcome to the world of Text Message Marketing. It's "advertisement on demand." The best part about it: it's not on the demand of the vendor; it's on the demand of the CUSTOMER.

As you probably are aware, there are businesses and agencies whose whole purpose in life is to collect information on consumers and then sell it to advertisers for very targeted promotions. That's NOT what we're talking about here. (Personally, I find that kind of advertisement invasive and offensive.)

Instead, Text Message Marketing is a systemized way of inviting customers (and potential customers) to request information from you, and you can create a mailing list of people who remain interested in what you offer once they've received the information you deliver. They can opt-out at any time. You don't have to pay high prices to advertise. You can reward your customers with discounts and coupons for their loyalty. Also, YOU own the information and your customers will be thankful that you keep their data private, without exploiting them by embracing mailing list suppliers, telemarketers, etc. Text Message Marketing is the perfect win-win. And it's BIG!

A few points to ponder as we continue:

• If you have ever used your cell phone to vote on a contestant in a televised singing contest, dance contest, talent show, or reality TV game, your cell phone information was "harvested" and added to someone's database.
• If you have ever responded to an add that says "text the word (whatever) to (phone number)", then you were added to a text message mailing list as you received the information you requested.
• Text messaging (and its associated abbreviated language) has become a BILLION dollar industry. It is effective enough that TV commercials now joke about it by having actors speak in the cryptic abbreviations while the translations appear as subtitles on the bottom of the screen. Why? Because millions of people do it nowadays (which sadly explains why kids can't spell correctly anymore.) LOL ("laugh out loud"... see what I mean?)

Usually this technology is insanely expensive to use, but I can help you get is set up for less than the cost of a small newspaper ad! And the monthly expenses? About the cost of a decent hamburger these days! If you want to learn more about this technology (which is INCREDIBLY simple to use), you'll soon be able to increase your customer base without invading their privacy, becoming a nuisance, or offending them.

To Learn More visit www.webdraftertexting.com!

This article is published with permission by Tom Elliott, author "The Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy"

Website 411 Book: Business Survival in an Internet Economy - JUST PUBLISHED - Must read for all business owners!

Now available, Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy helps business owners make informed buying decisions with regards to establishing an effective Web presence.

Tom Elliott combined his 9 years of Website and search engine experience with his research of over 500 companies in 32 cities to create a thorough book that explores the topics of Web sites, domain names, ecommerce, hosting, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and usability. What makes this book different than any others on the topic? Website 411 is written in plain English, and it is geared towards the business owner, not the computer "expert."

This is a non-tech book on the topic of Websites. If the alphabet soup of HTML is intimidating and confusing, and if you aren't interested in becoming a programmer just so that you can achieve a return on investment from your Website, Website 411 explains the material in terms that will keep you engaged and interested. This book reflects that the author understands that you "just need to know what you need to know." When you are finished with this book you will be equipped to ask the right questions, know when you're getting the right answers, and avoid being "oversold" or "upsold" with unnecessary bells and whistles. You'll have the confidence to make the right informed Website decisions for your business.

As an added bonus, the book is supplemented with a complete Website, www.website411book.com, that offers special support and features such as:

• The National Directory of Website Solution Providers (a growing database of developers that Tom Elliott has personally screened for quality of work)
• A Discussion Forum (get all of your questions answered via message posts)
• A LIVE Chat Area (chat on the computer with Tom Elliott, the author)
• Free Software, Tools, and Resources (some is completely free, and others let you try before you buy)
• Articles and Tips (additional information to supplement the Website book)
• Quotable Quotes (use some of Tom Elliott's material to enhance your own work)
• Text Message Marketing (TMM) (access to get your own TMM portal)
• LIVE Webinars (subscribe to Tom Elliott's calendar and stay up-t0-date with his scheduled online classes-- at a HUGE discount!)

Check out his Webinar and Seminar Training Calendar:

The cover price of the book is $24.95, but you can get the book PLUS all of the extra features and bonus materials on www.website411book.com for about $20. Discover the benefits and learn more about the book by visiting now! You'll be amazed at the value!

When you shop for your Internet solution, be sure to compare notes with what we can do for you at WebDrafter.com, Inc. (www.webdrafter.com). WebDrafter.com is a complete Website solution provider. We'd love to answer your questions, too!