 Here's the latest market trends that you need to be aware of!
Anybody who wants to be successful in their career or business cannot afford to ignore what's happening in the market place — Everything we do on behalf of the Art and Craft Community is to help you grow your business — Here's some VERY IMPORTANT STATISTICS many of you may not be too aware of.
We encourage you to think carefully about the implications of what the following means to you as an Art or Craft business owner. We've sourced some very key info that can help you strategize a bit more and target where you spend your sales and marketing dollars.
Unfortunately, there are no such statistics that are only applicable to the Canadian Art & Craft Industry., which would be nice to have... However, it is easy to make the obvious observations from these internet usage and retail statistics. Note the more educated Cross-Channel customers that are arising... You need to start appearing where they're looking and shopping...
Per capita, Canada currently represents the world's leading users of the Internet, over 20.5 million Canadians. (Ipsos 2004)
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As of January, 2005, Canada's population was slightly over 32 million. (Stats Can 2005)
Key Point: Therefore, more than 64% of Canadians take advantage of the Internet.
Key Questions: Is this a part of the market you want to access and sell your art to? Is this a medium you need to consider more? |
There's all kinds of reasons that people go on the internet.
We at A&CNet are committed to educating and facilitating the art and craft market's most-effective utilization of the inherent benefits the internet offers, to grow your business and increase your sales and Industry presence. All of our services are focused on enabling you to take advantage of today's ever-increasing internet usage and ever-growing online customer base.
However, there's two key components to it and one is currently growing faster than the other… Forward-thinking Industry leaders and "smart business owners" are taking advantage of what currently exists as well as preparing for the balance to likely shift the other way in the not too distant future. |
#1: Cross-Channel Shoppers — 58% of Canadian Internet Users do their research online before buying… Where? Online (Forrester 2004)
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Key Point: 58% or over 13 million Canadians use the internet to find information and first research what they want to buy and whom they want to buy it from! That's a very significant number of potential customers who prefer to use the internet more so than traditional means for research…
Key Questions: Have you made plans to get these "online" people to find you and buy from you? Are you making yourself and your art available to them where they're doing their research? |
#2: Online Purchasers — 47% of Canadian adults with internet access are making purchases online. (It's 63% in the U.S.!) (Ipsos 2004)
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Key Point: Approx. 24.6 million Canadians are adults. (Stats Can 2005) If 64% of them are, indeed, internet users, that's approximately 15.7 million. 47% of these or 7.4 million Canadian adults are making purchases online! That's a lot of Canadians who are accustomed to making online purchases!
Key Questions: What are you doing to market and sell your art to this ever-increasing potential customer base? Wouldn't it be beneficial to offer your art to these 7.4 million online purchasers? Or do you have all the sales you can handle via the traditional sales and marketing means? |
| GROWING PREFERENCE & TREND INDICATING A SHIFT FROM OFFLINE TO ONLINE! |
52% of internet users currently prefer to find what they're looking for through an online search engine more so than the traditional "offline" sources such as newspapers, magazines, direct mail, etc. (The Kelsey Group and BizRate.com)
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Key Point: 52% or over 10.7 million Canadians prefer using an internet search engine for researching information than traditional offline means! This percentage increases every year!
* This is precisely why A&CNet has 14 search engines for our 14 Directories!
Key Questions & Comment: Does it make good sense ($ & cents) to "put all your eggs into the one basket" by mostly advertising and marketing and selling your art only via the traditional media? The really point is, "Yes do that, but also DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ONLINE MEANS, TOO!" |
| ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS WHY PEOPLE USE A SEARCH ENGINE |
36% of all the possible reasons people ever use an internet search engine are now "shopping-based".
People are using search functionality to look for a merchant, research a purchase or make an online purchase. (The Kelsey Group & BizRate.com 2004) |
Key Point: More and more people are using search engines for the obvious purpose of "shopping" and being a prepared and researched shopper, and this is increasing every year.
Key Questions & Comment: If this is becoming such a key focus of activity on search engines amongst all the various reasons a user might have for searching, then it is something that has to be faced and prepared for… What are you doing to access these internet researchers and shoppers? |
| THE UNDENIABLE CURRENT INTERNET TREND IS "RESEARCH ONLINE/BUY OFFLINE" |
58% of all Canadian internet users are what's known as Cross-Channel Shoppers.
Cross-Channel Shoppers are defined as consumers who first go onto the internet to do their research and make all their pre-purchasing decisions on any given product or service they're looking for, but then they subsequently go offline, to the local merchant to make their final purchase.
In fact, 68% of these that researched products online, made their purchases offline.
Furthermore, 81% of Cross-Channel Shoppers carefully compare products and prices online before making any purchases. (Forrester 2004) |
Key Point: 58% or over 11.9 million Canadians are Cross-Channel researchers and shoppers. Whether it's the 36% above using search engines or the balance using Directories and Info Resource sites or other information portals on the net, these are VERY TELLING STATISTICS. Currently, a majority of them will still make their purchases offline.
* And that's why A&CNet exists… to provide them with a portal nexus where they can find the information about you, about your art, where they can purchase it locally, via our Directories and Gallery, and then we re-direct them to your website. Or if you don't yet have one, they will get your studio address and key contact info from us.
Key Question & Comment: Most cross-Channel shoppers (81%) are comparison shoppers. They're a more educated buyer than ever before. They're looking for a specific product, best pricing, where they can buy it, etc.
* With the various marketing and advertising vehicles A&CNet offers, we can help you "put your best foot forward" so that customers will have every opportunity to want what you've created. We offer you numerous platforms for advertising you and your art. Whether it's our Directories, Galleries, Profiles or AdLinX Ads, we provide a direct link to your website where potential customers can buy directly from you.
Are you ready to capitalize on this? It's those that jump in early with these ever-growing trends that will gain the significant advantage over time….and over their peers. |
| In the broader-based picture, current statistics indicate that nearly 75% of all store shoppers are Cross-Channel Shoppers. (Shop.org 2004) |
Key Point: 75% of all those who shop at traditional offline stores and outlets are now Cross-Channel shoppers. This is a staggering statistic. The trend merging internet usage with shopping is unmistakable. We're talking about millions of people. If you're not taking measures and adjusting or adding to your sales and marketing plans to tap into all of this potential… someone else surely will at your loss.
Key Questions & Comment: Do you have an effective revenue-generating presence on the net? Are you in some high-traffic online Directories and Galleries? Do you have your own website and are able to process payments on your site?
* We can provide all of these services to you at A&CNet. |
| THE FUTURE IN SEARCH ENGINES — "GEO-TARGETED LOCALIZED SHOPPING" |
Plus according to the latest studies, over 60% will try to narrow their results further at a local level.
They want to buy from the merchant closer to where they live, which makes perfect sense. (The Kelsey Group 2004)
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Key Point: This is being driven by what our research tells us is internet users dissatisfaction and frustration with poor access, poor quality and the abundance of irrelevant search results that are more akin to "searching for a needle in a haystack" than quickly finding what they want or need. Customers want quick answers, some "real" details, and of course, they want to buy locally. They want convenience and lower cost. They don't want to waste time, spend undue effort or money and they want it directly and simply.
* We created A&CNet's Directories and Gallery search engines with that in mind. Our search engines offer unprecedented "filtering capability" so that a searcher/potential buyer can narrow their results down to exactly who and what they're looking for and that are local and easy to get to. Depending upon the Directory you're searching, we offer 4 to 7 criterion to make your search results much more relevant and accurate. We give you exactly ONLY that which you're looking for.
Key Questions & Comment: Wouldn't it be beneficial to you to list within these kind of Directories employing search engines that enable your customers to "geo-target locally"? The easier and more direct you make it for a customer to find his path to your door, the more successful you are sure to be. |
| A SATISFIED CUSTOMER WILL TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOU! |
Furthermore, when it comes to satisfied customers being some of your best "word of mouth" which can help your sales, Cross-Channel Shoppers are more likely to educate others and influence the purchasing decisions of friends, co-workers and family, compared to offline traditional shoppers. (Yankee Group 2004)
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Key Point: Simply put, "when customers are happy, they tell others about it". Cross-Channel shoppers do just that. They are the kind of customers it's always better to have.
Key Questions & Comment: I say again, are you doing everything you can to access these 11.9 million Canadians? Remember…that's only Canada's stats we're looking at… It's not only Canadians that may want to purchase your art, right? The potential via the internet for new customers for you is not to be underestimated! |
| CROSS-CHANNEL SHOPPERS BUY MORE THAN TRADITIONAL OFFLINE-ONLY SHOPPERS! |
Cross-Channel Shoppers that do their research online before buying, spend 9% more in offline merchant's stores than offline-only consumers.
And more notably, those who are accustomed to doing their research and occasional purchasing online, spend 49% more with traditional local merchants than offline-only consumers. (JCWG 2002)
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Key Point: Cross-Channel shoppers are more educated, "more prepared to buy" potential customers. It's these shoppers that you want to be available to. These are the ones spending more than the offline-only traditional customer type.
Key Questions & Comment: I say it one last time, are you doing everything you can to access these 11.9 million Canadians? The impact of the internet on the market, your market, hasn't yet been anywhere near fully realized! The internet is here to stay. Jump on board sooner that later and you'll reap the advantage. Embrace the net and it will net you some returns that you otherwise simply wouldn't even see nor know you're missing out on! |
If any of the above has got thinking more, that's good! When it comes to sales and marketing most people do "what they've always done". Is that enough for you these days, or do you need to do more to make the kind of income and have the kind of success you desire for your art or craft business? For too many, new business development is not something high on the priority list nor typically understood well.
The bottom-line is... No one can any longer ignore, avoid, or put off considering the impact of the internet in their business "equation". Those who take early advantage of it, reap the benefits over their peers.
We have numerous services we can offer you to "tap into" this market. Give us a call; it would be our pleasure to help you more effectively utilize the internet to sell your art or craft works. We can give you direct access to the ever-growing internet user/online customer base who are the art lovers and craft enthusiasts. They're visiting our website more than ever these days! Join us; we'd like to put them directly in touch with YOU!
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