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Digital Crystal Ball 2008: Online Revenues Increase, Record Number Have Web Sites

by Megan Hubble · Recharger Magazine · August 1, 2008 - page(s): 60-72

Sometimes we look into our industry’s crystal ball and can only catch the briefest glimpse of the online future, while other times the outlook is a little easier to see. But one thing is for certain: while many pundits observe the economy starting to tighten, we find that aftermarket cartridge industry members with Web sites are watching their online revenues increase and foresee increases in the next year as well.

While the percentage of respondents to the 2008 Internet Survey who offer e-commerce capabilities held fairly steady from last year, this group found that such orders make up a greater percentage of their gross revenue than in the past. In fact, 54 percent of respondents now make 20 percent or more of their revenue from online orders, as opposed to 33 percent last year.

While it is possible that some companies saw online orders grow at the expense of other types of revenue, most of the survey’s indicators reinforce the trend of growth from online sources. For example, we found that 47 percent of respondents who say they offer online ordering indicate that their revenue from such sources grew in the last 12 months, and another 47 percent said it stayed the same, with only 6 percent seeing a decline in online ordering. Seventy-one percent of those with online ordering say they expect increased online sales in the next 12 months as well.

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