/24-7PressRelease/ - FAYETTEVILLE, NC, March 09, 2008 -- Fewer cars will be seen on the roads and in the Mall parking lots this spring and summer as a result of soaring fuel prices and the explosion of eCommerce alternatives" predicts Byron Keaton, a Marketing Analyst with AIT, (www.AIT.com/?pdkw=pr-ecommerce-prp-03-06-2008) . More and more people are driving less and shopping from the comfort and security of their homes than ever before. "With average prices at the pump above $3 a gallon, filling up is causing American consumers increasing pain in the pocketbook" says NPR's Scott Horsley. According to an ABC News poll, "Americans are not just dissatisfied with the cost of gasoline, a sizable number are downright angry about it. And they might get madder still: Many are cutting back elsewhere in order to keep paying at the pump, and if prices hit $3 per gallon long-term, more than six in 10 say they'll have to reduce their driving."
So what effect will this have on the overall store and retail shopping? A Dow Jones Market Watch article explains: "Shopping online helps cut gas costs that would be accrued shuttling to and from the mall. Of course, all of this doesn't necessarily mean that these online shoppers will spend less. "I wouldn't be surprised if they end up spending the same amount, but getting more for their dollar," said Bruce Weinberg, marketing and ecommerce professor at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. "It's like going to a happy hour when appetizers are half price, but deciding to buy two appetizers instead of one because it's such a deal", he said.
According to a new e-Marketer report, US retail e-commerce sales are expected to reach $243.5 Billion by 2011. This year, 117 million people, or two-thirds of Internet users, will make at least one purchase online, with the average buyer spending $1,123.
So what does all this mean for the small business owner? Opportunity. Web Hosting company AIT (www.AIT.com/?pdkw=pr-ecommerce-prp-03-06-2008) a TopHosts.com # 1 ranked hosting company, has made it easy for entrepreneurs to capture their share of the growing online purchasing market. AIT has eCommerce packages that include all the essential platforms to launch an instant online business, including gateways and merchant accounts, shopping carts, point-of-sale systems, and a bevy of hosting plans to meet every budget from individual to Enterprise.
To get started or to simply compare plans, just visit: http://www.ait.com/ecommerce.php/?pdkw=pr-ecommerce-prp-03-06-2008 or call 1-800-878- 4084 and let a knowledgeable sales consultant help guide you toward establishing a digital storefront with a global market. Get started today and your first months fee for Gateway Services is only $10. And to help promote your new online presence, tyBit Inc., an AIT affiliate company, is giving a free advertising credit for every new subscriber who signs up. This is a tremendous savings for a start-up business or an existing business to help increase brand awareness and market share. tyBit is a powerful new client-side search application that also allows local businesses to get their message in a local marketplace. tyBit delivers results based on the location of the user and provides a shop feature that will display images of products, provide a description and also compare prices. "tyBit shops all the shopping sites", said Al Whitfield, Vice President for Marketing at AIT.
AIT is home to over 210,000 customers to include Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses. AIT was founded in North Carolina and has grown into a multimillion dollar web hosting and technology company. Clients like Time Warner, Microsoft, Newsweek, U.S. Federal Government, PC World, United Nations, Business Week, The Oakridge Boys, State of North Carolina, Department of Defense, Wall Street Journal, ZDNet, Pizza Hut, GOODYEAR, Smart Money, Discover Radio, and many more have benefited from AIT's products and services. The company has been named 2 times to the INC. 500 list of fastest growing firms and 3 times to the Deloitte & Touche Fast 500 list.
Press release distribution by PressReleasePoint(http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/).
Source:
1-800-878-4084
sales@ait.com
Press Contact:
Byron Keaton
AIT, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC
United States.
910-321-1247
bkeaton@ait.com
http://www.ait.com
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