Online Sales Look Good For Small Businesses

By Doug Caverly

Survey respondents expect steady or increasing revenue


If you haven't started selling stuff online, now would be a great time to do so. Small business owners seem to feel online sales are going to remain strong regardless of how the rest of the economy sinks.

"Approximately 70% of the respondents don't expect their web revenue to decline despite economic conditions," according to Register.com, which talked to 800 small businesses. Exactly 34.5 percent of its respondents plan on seeing the same level of revenue, and 34.6 percent expect the level to rise.

All of the standard disclaimers apply: conditions may be different according to geographic region or market segment, or Register.com's respondents could just be incorrectly optimistic.

With such a strong response, it appears that online sales may really represent a sort of safe haven, though. Chris Crum looked into some of the customer rationale behind this trend. And even if you have a service that can't be sold online, it's probably wise to establish (or revisit and refine) an online presence.

Register.com CEO Larry Kutscher stated, "Having a website has become more than a luxury for small businesses and entrepreneurs, it is a necessity."

Hat tip to Laura Palotie.