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Projected Growth of the Internet – Online Merchants’
Dream Come True!
May 15, 2005
By Lori Wilkerson
The Internet was a project that
started as a communications infrastructure that was originally going to be
dismantled when the project it was developed for was complete – can you imagine?
No one at that time could have projected growth of the Internet in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries would be one of the biggest modern revolutions ever
to take place.
Now the figures
for Internet use are staggering and the numbers increase every
day. In fact, most experts agree that no other form of
communication has increased as caught on as quickly or evolved
as rapidly as the Internet. Not the telegraph, telephone or
television. Nothing. Twenty-five years ago, projected growth of
the Net was still expected to be primarily in tech and education
sectors. Today nearly everyone is wired and it’s become part of
the world landscape. How many people are online? It changes
every single day, but the figures show impressive growth and is
increasing rapidly.
According to
eMarketer, Internet use fall in any given month was:
-
In the year
2000 = 352 million online
-
In 2001 =
446 million online
-
In 2002 =
530 million online
-
In 2003 =
623 million online
-
In 2004 =
700+ million online and increasing monthly
With the world
population increasing every year and the cost of Internet
technology steadily decreasing, it would seem only natural that
as time goes by growth of connectivity will only continue. In
fact, projected growth estimates that by 2007 over 1.2 billion
people will be online each month. That’s a phenomenal audience!
For anyone who
has considered a home based business, the growth of the Internet
is a dream come true – it means the market will only grow for
any product or service they might offer. And with the steady
growth of the Internet has come the growth of consumer
confidence with online shopping.
Will Online Shopping Continue to
Increase?
As increased
confidence in online shopping has taken off, the number of
people who shop online has continued to rise in a steady arc,
and the amount of money spent on purchases has also increased.
In fact, global commerce revenue from Internet purchases since
1998 is projected to be over $590 billion by the end of 2004.
There are a
variety of factors that shape the habits of Internet shoppers,
and all of them indicate projected growth over the next five
years. In 2003, $52 billion was spent in online purchases, and
growth is expected to be approximately 21% per year in the
foreseeable future. With 88% of online consumers during last
year’s holiday season (traditionally the most difficult time to
satisfy shoppers) saying they were happy with their Internet
shopping experience, it’s no wonder marketing experts see
continued growth in the cards.
In fact, 5% of
all retail spending will be done via the Net by 2007, and
influenced by Internet research 34% of the time by 2007. Today,
the typical online shopper is a male shopper about 42 years of
age with income averaging $61,000, but women are rapidly closing
the gap, with marketing experts projecting that the typical
shopper by mid-2004 being either male or female (about a 50/50
split), with income of $65,000 and a college education. Growth
of consumer shopping on the Internet will continue to fall along
the lines of educated professionals.
With the
Internet constantly growth not projected to end any time soon,
and marketers projecting an increase not only in consumer
confidence but in spending levels and numbers of online
shoppers, it’s obvious that a legitimate home based career can
be built on the opportunities available in Internet marketing
and online retailing. There are affiliate programs, web
publishing opportunities and shopper’s guides that all earn good
income based on the needs of Internet shoppers. Now’s the time
to explore these opportunities.
About The
Author
Lori Wilkerson
is a full-time freelance writer who loves her work because it
gives her the opportunity to learn more about the world every
day. Right now, she knows a little bit about almost everything,
and a lot about
the advantages of
working from home.
She has two dogs who are spoiled and one teenager who is not.
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