Published on September 12, 2012 Ecommerce statistics confirm even more Australians are buying online
While economists argue about the depleted state of the economy, new research shows that Internet buying is a relative oasis compared to the rest of the Australian economy, with up to 88% of Australian Internet users browsing prices and products online every month, and up to 60% of those making purchases.
For those thinking about selling online, or existing online shops considering their growth opportunities, the statistics point to one thing: that competition is set to increase exponentially, and those who are not online to their maximum potential will miss out on huge potential for sales and success of their business.
Ecommerce in Australia : Market Statistics
The latest research from the ARC Centre of Excellence at Queensland’s University of Technology has revealed some interesting and compelling reasons why now is the time that online businesses should be thinking about starting up, as the conditions are just right to take advantage of a growing online shopping wave.
The results are from a random survey of 1,000 Australians conducted in July 2011, so as we near the end of 2012, it’s reasonable to assume that over a year on from the survey that conditions are even stronger for getting online now.
Some of the key findings included:
- Online shoppers via a mobile device doubled to 37% between 2009 and 2011
- 90% of Australians consider the Internet an important part of their lives
- Social contact is an important reason for being online (hence the importance of social media in marketing your online business)
- Browsing the Internet for prices has increased from 82% to 88% between 2007 and 2011
- At least 75% of respondents have purchased something online – up considerably from 2007
- The proportion of Australians shopping online at least once weekly nearly doubled to 10.4%.
The research also compared Australia’s results to those of other countries and across genders, showing that Australians shop online more regularly than other countries, with 25% purchasing weekly – compared to 18% of the British and 12% in New Zealand.
Men are purchasing more online and at a faster rate than women, with the average monthly online purchase amount increasing from $219 in 2009 to $242 in 2011, with female spending falling from $187 per month to $165.
What does this mean for your business?
In the face of intensifying competition, the basics of marketing and advertising theory will apply: to get cut through, you must first gain the attention and interest of your target customers; to convert interest to sales you must create desire for your products and trust that you are the right business to purchase from, and to prevent that customer from going elsewhere next time you must have a strong brand, different and appealing identity, and outstanding customer service.
This means a powerful shopping cart, appealing and intuitive web design, and well thought out policies, processes and service. Attitude will also play an important part as you need to have a successful mindset if you want to succeed.
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