February 2003

TRENDS

• Emarketer reports that there are currently 16.8 million household broadband users which is a 27% increase this year. They estimate that by the end of 2003 there will be 23.3 million and by the end of 2004 30.5 million. -- To you this means that your market for larger files and digital products will nearly double in the next two years. Are you busy learning how to produce them so that you can cash in?

• Also from emarketer. Holiday sales were dismal in the brick and mortar world. Not online. Sales grew 16% on line in the 4th quarter.

• I can't help but mention one more from emarketer. There were 15.7 million online content buyers in the US alone and that is projected to rise to 21 million in 2003. I've never been to worried about offending people when I know I'm right. I wouldn't be helping you and you wouldn't be getting value out of this magazine if I sugar coated everything. So here goes. If you are serious about the most simple, inexpensive and low risk way to improve your financial status -- that being Internet Marketing and sales, you are simply crazy if you don't focus heavily on creating online content AKA digital products. People are lining up to buy this stuff and it's just plain dumb if you don't grab your share.

• Cybersource reported that 52% of online merchants are losing between 1% and 5% to online fraud. These figures pretty much apply to big business and I haven't seen anything like that in my own business. Even at 5% I would still be enormously profitable, so I don't think you have to fret over this too much.

• Wait till you hear this. The American Library Association is suing because it says the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is unconstitutional. What is happening is that public libraries are commanded  to (or at least to get money they must) install filters to catch pornography. The filters, however, are also filtering many health sites like sites about breast cancer, aids prevention, condom use, etc.

• Need a friend. A team of researchers are developing a robot that can sense its owners emotions and offer assistance. From :"Wired"
  http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56921,00.html

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• According to BIGresearch 50% of US web surfers experience more than one media at once, i.e., watch television while surfing the web . . . if you are substantial enough to do some TV or cable ads in your market, you can easily cross promote.

• The Top Five Activities of Americans Online (as a percentage of Internet Users age 3 and above.)
  
  Email 84%
  Product / Service information search  67.3%
  News / Weather / Sports 61.8%
  Playing Games 42.1%
  Product / Service purchases 39.1%
  
  Even with only 39% buying, that's a lot of people for you to sell to.

• According to BURST 19% of Internet users have redeemed a coupon on line and with households making $100,000.00 a year or more 26.6% have redeemed a coupon on line.  . . .The shopping system I handle http://www.kickstartcart.com can handle this all for you automatically.

• IProspect surveyed 1403 people and found that 78% will abandon a search if they don't fine what they want in the first three pages of search results and 48% expect to find what they want on the first page of search results.  . .  You better get busy making your sites show up high don't you think?

• DoubleClick reports that Email click through rates are on the rise again after a fall in the second quarter of 2002. Second quarter rates were 4.9% with a rise to 6.1% in the third quarter.  . . .Make sure you get your share and you won't unless you build your email database and send out good information and offers.

• The US Census Bureau confirms that Business to Consumer ecommerce continues to see solid growth and yet only 1.3 % of business is conducted on line with an expect rise to 8% in the next five years.  . . . I'm thrilled with this news and you should be doing everything within your power to start tapping the online sales now and preparing for a bright future in online sales.

• http://www.emailsanta.com/ Santa is now get more emails than regular mails

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