big commerce 2009 internet retailer survey
DESCRIPTION
The results of the BigCommerce 2009 Internet Retailer survey. Online retailers using BigCommerce to sell online were invited to participate in the 2009 Internet Retailer Survey via email invitation. A total of 491 online retailers completed the survey between 21st and 30th September 2009. The answers to each question are included in this PDF.TRANSCRIPT
2009 Internet Retailer Survey www.BigCommerce.com
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Survey Summary
After analysing results of the 2009 Internet Retailer Survey, conducted by BigCommerce, it’s clear
that the vast majority of online retailers are new to selling online. Apparel, software and
computers/accessories are the most popular products being sold online and the overwhelming
majority of sales for those surveyed come from their online store as opposed to a traditional bricks
and mortar business.
In regards to the next 12 months, the majority of online retailers take a hopeful view towards
improving sales from their online store and haven seen the best return on investment from email
marketing (37%), Google AdWords (37%) and social media (15%). Email marketing (71%), Google
AdWords (60%) and blogging (42%) comprise the major marketing strategies which will be
implemented by those online retailers surveyed going into 2010.
34% of respondents use FaceBook to communicate with potential customers, while 32% use Twitter.
The typical online retailer posts between 0-2 tweets per week and when asked how Twitter affects
their online sales, the majority (39%) reported that they weren’t able to track the results Twitter has
had on their sales. Similarly, 34% of online retailers who reach out to prospects and customers on
FaceBook reported they didn’t have a way to track sales made from their social media efforts.
How the results were collected
Online retailers using BigCommerce to sell online were invited to participate in the 2009 Internet
Retailer Survey via email invitation. A total of 491 online retailers completed the survey between 21st
and 30th September 2009. The answers to each question are included on the pages that follow.
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 1: What do you sell online?
Answer Optionss Response Percent
Computer & Accessories 13.0%
Automotive 4.3%
Apparel 21.0%
Footwear 4.7%
Pet Supplies 3.5%
Travel & Holidays 1.6%
Books 9.0%
Concert & Event Tickets 2.2%
Electronics 12.6%
Gourmet Good 5.5%
Grocery 2.2%
Ebooks 5.7%
Baby 4.7%
Beauty 8.6%
Camera & Photo 7.3%
Cell Phones & Service 5.3%
Health & Personal Care 11.6%
Home & Garden 11.4%
Home Improvement 2.9%
Industrial & Scientific 3.7%
Jewelry 10.0%
Kitchen & Dining 4.1%
MP3 Downloads 3.1%
Magazines 1.6%
Movies & TV 2.2%
Music 2.6%
Musical Instruments 2.2%
Office Products 7.1%
Patio, Lawn & Garden 1.2%
Shoes 4.5%
Software 13.4%
Sports & Outdoors 9.2%
Toys 7.3%
Video 3.3%
Video Games 3.7%
Watches 3.9%
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 2: In regards to last year's sales, this year's sales...
Answer Options Response Percent
Are significantly higher 14.3%
Are slightly higher 23.8%
Are the same 14.9%
Are slightly lower 7.7%
Are significantly lower 6.9%
I wasn't selling online last year 32.4%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
What do you sell online?
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 3: What percentage of your company's sales come purely from your online store?
Answer Options Response Percent
0-10% 23.8%
11-20% 11.2%
21-30% 9.2%
31-40% 4.5%
41-50% 4.5%
51-60% 3.3%
61-70% 3.9%
71-80% 5.1%
81-90% 5.3%
91-100% 29.3%
In regards to last year's sales, this year's sales...
Are significantly higher
Are slightly higher
Are the same
Are slightly lower
Are significantly lower
I wasn't selling online last year
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 4: What percentage of your company's sales DO NOT come from your online store?
Answer Options Response Percent
0-10% 34.4%
11-20% 6.5%
21-30% 4.3%
31-40% 3.1%
41-50% 6.1%
51-60% 5.3%
61-70% 5.9%
71-80% 8.4%
81-90% 10.6%
91-100% 15.5%
What percentage of your company's sales come purely from your online
store?
0-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-60%
61-70%
71-80%
81-90%
91-100%
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 5: What is your biggest challenge in regards to selling online over the next 12
months?
Answer Options Response Percent
Maintaining my profit margins 3.7%
New competitors entering the market 3.5%
Recruiting and training new staff 1.0%
Increasing my product range 7.3%
Reducing my prices to stay competitive 4.9%
Keeping my bricks and mortar store open 0.6%
Finding new customers 37.7%
Enticing existing customers to repurchase 5.7%
Keeping up with changes in technology 4.5%
Integrating my online store with my back end systems 10.2%
Systemizing my business processes 7.5%
Warehousing and inventory management 4.1%
Customer communication (email marketing, Twitter, etc) 5.3%
Maximizing my marketing budget 4.1%
Other (please specify)
What percentage of your company's sales DO NOT come from your online
store?
0-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-60%
61-70%
71-80%
81-90%
91-100%
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 6: How critical is your online store in respect to your bottom line?
Answer Options Response Percent
Extremely critical - without it we'd be out of business 40.9%
Critical - it generates significant revenues 21.2%
Slightly important - it brings in orders, but not as many as I'd like 32.8%
Not that important - our main focus is our bricks and mortar store or warehouse 5.1%
What is your biggest challenge in regards to selling online over the next 12
months?
Maintaining my profit margins
New competitors entering the marketRecruiting and training new staff
Increasing my product range
Reducing my prices to stay competitiveKeeping my bricks and mortar store openFinding new customers
Enticing existing customers to repurchaseKeeping up with changes in technologyIntegrating my online store with my back end systemsSystemizing my business processes
Warehousing and inventory managementCustomer communication (email marketing, Twitter, etc)Maximizing my marketing budget
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 7: Which strategies will you be using over the next 12 months to drive new
customers to your online store?
Answer Options Response Percent
Google AdWords 59.7%
Online Banner Ads 28.3%
Affiliate Program 26.9%
Email Marketing 70.7%
Newspaper Advertising 12.8%
Cold Calling 6.3%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) 51.1%
Direct Mail 22.0%
Trade Shows or Conferences 21.2%
Public Relations 20.0%
Publicity Stunts 4.5%
Strategic Alliances or Partnerships 16.9%
Blogging 42.4%
Podcasts 4.9%
TV Advertising 3.3%
How critical is your online store in respect to your bottom line?
Extremely critical - without it we'd be out of business
Critical - it generates significant revenues
Slightly important - it brings in orders, but not as many as I'd like
Not that important - our main focus is our bricks and mortar store or warehouse
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Radio Advertising 4.5%
Classifieds (eBay, CraigsList) 22.2%
Other (please specify)
Question 8: Which marketing strategy has given you the best return on your investment?
Answer Options Response Percent
Google AdWords 37.1%
Online Banner Ads 7.9%
Affiliate Program 5.9%
Email Marketing 37.3%
Newspaper Advertising 3.7%
Cold Calling 3.9%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) 14.9%
Direct Mail 7.7%
Trade Shows or Conferences 7.3%
Public Relations 9.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
AdW
ord
s
Aff
iliate
Pro
gra
m
New
spaper
Advert
isin
g
Soci
al M
edia
(Face
book, T…
Tra
de S
how
s
or
Confe
rence
s
Public
ity
Stu
nts
Blo
ggin
g
TV A
dvert
isin
g
Cla
ssifie
ds
(eBay, Cra
igs…
Which strategies will you be using over the next 12 months to drive new
customers to your online store?
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Publicity Stunts 0.6%
Strategic Alliances or Partnerships 4.9%
Blogging 10.0%
Podcasts 1.2%
TV Advertising 1.0%
Radio Advertising 1.4%
Classifieds (eBay, CraigsList) 7.3%
Other (please specify)
Question 9: How would you describe your outlook for sales from your online store over the coming 12 months?
Answer Options Response Percent
Bleek 3.5%
Hopeful 43.4%
Average 25.3%
Plentiful 23.6%
Overwhelming 4.3%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
AdW
ord
s
Aff
iliate
Pro
gra
m
New
spaper
Advert
isin
g
Soci
al M
edia
(Face
book, T…
Tra
de S
how
s
or
Confe
rence
s
Public
ity S
tunts
Blo
ggin
g
TV A
dvert
isin
g
Cla
ssifie
ds
(eBay, Cra
igs…
Which marketing strategy has given you the best return on your
investment?
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 10: Do you currently use FaceBook to communicate with customers or shoppers?
Answer Options Response Percent
Yes 34.4%
No 65.6%
How would you describe your outlook for sales from your online store over
the coming 12 months?
Bleek
Hopeful
Average
Plentiful
Overwhelming
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 11: If you answered "Yes" to question 10, how would you say FaceBook affects
your online sales?
Answer Options Response Percent
I can't track how many sales I've had as a result of using FaceBook 34.3%
I've noticed no new sales as a result of using FaceBook 23.6%
I've noticed few new sales as a result of using FaceBook 28.7%
I've noticed quite a few new sales as a result of using FaceBook 10.1%
I've noticed a large amount of new sales as a result of using FaceBook 3.4%
Do you currently use FaceBook to communicate with customers or
shoppers?
Yes
No
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 12: Do you currently use Twitter to communicate with customers or shoppers?
Answer Options Response Percent
Yes 31.8%
No 68.2%
If you answered "Yes" to question 10, how would you say FaceBook
affects your online sales?
I can't track how many sales I've had as a result of using FaceBook
I've noticed no new sales as a result of using FaceBook
I've noticed few new sales as a result of using FaceBook
I've noticed quite a few new sales as a result of using FaceBook
I've noticed a large amount of new sales as a result of using FaceBook
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 13: If you answered "Yes" to question 12, how many new posts do you make on Twitter each week?
Answer Options Response Percent
0-2 41.3%
3-5 26.9%
6-10 15.0%
11-20 8.4%
21-50 7.2%
Over 50 1.2%
Do you currently use Twitter to communicate with customers or
shoppers?
Yes
No
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 14: If you answered "Yes" to question 12, how would you say Twitter affects your
online sales?
Answer Options Response Percent
I can't track how many sales I've had as a result of using Twitter 38.7%
I've noticed no new sales as a result of using Twitter 27.0%
I've noticed few new sales as a result of using Twitter 27.6%
I've noticed quite a few new sales as a result of using Twitter 6.7%
I've noticed a large amount of new sales as a result of using Twitter 0.0%
If you answered "Yes" to question 12, how many new posts do you make
on Twitter each week?
0-2
3-5
6-10
11-20
21-50
Over 50
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
Question 15: What is your annual marketing budget for your online store?
Answer Options Response Percent
$0 - $10,000 80.7%
$10,001 - $50,000 14.9%
$50,001 - $100,000 2.6%
$100,001 - $500,000 1.6%
$500,001 - $1,000,000 0.2%
$1,000,001+ 0.0%
If you answered "Yes" to question 12, how would you say Twitter affects
your online sales?
I can't track how many sales I've had as a result of using Twitter
I've noticed no new sales as a result of using Twitter
I've noticed few new sales as a result of using Twitter
I've noticed quite a few new sales as a result of using Twitter
I've noticed a large amount of new sales as a result of using Twitter
2009 Internet Retailer Survey, Presented by BigCommerce
Survey results collected from 21st – 30th September 2009 BigCommerce – The Easiest Way to Sell Online
http://www.bigcommerce.com
What is your annual marketing budget for your online store?
$0 - $10,000
$10,001 - $50,000
$50,001 - $100,000
$100,001 - $500,000
$500,001 - $1,000,000
$1,000,001+