[05.01.10]

In spite of the slow economy, statistics are showing that online sales are steadily increasing. There is not a better time to expand or start your business online.

According to the US Census Bureau Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report from 4th Quarter 2009, US retail e-commerce sales saw an increase of 4.5% from the third quarter in 2009, for a total of $35.9 billion in sales. It was a 14.4% increase compared to the 4th quarter in 2008 while total retail sales only increased 2.2% in the same period. Total e-commerce sales in 2009 increased 2% from 2008, while total retail sales in 2009 decreased 7%.

This is good news for online retail sites. Web simply doesn't conform to the traditional retail scenario.

For example: Setting up a new business location in the bricks and mortar world would cost a lot of cash to buy real estate, get new staff, set up the store's interior, etc. With an online store, you just have the cost of the site's design, coding, content development and web hosting.

So if you're determined to make money in these hard times, and are prepared for something new, then Internet business is a great option to try out. And if you are already running a small business in the brick and mortar world, it is high time you started selling online too, based on the projected numbers for the future of e-commerce.