“You can tell when it’s summer in Ireland – because the rain gets warmer.”
This may also be the reason why you need to build a great website, and make full use of social media, to sell your products and services.
Why? Because, rather than trudging around town on a ‘grand soft day’, Irish shoppers are now running to the internet faster than a herd of ponies at the Ballinasloe Horse Fair.
And it’s not just in Ireland! Both Irish and UK consumers now gather information online, whether they are checking out training courses, seeking medical advice, or ordering tangibles such as groceries, books, and DVDs.
This new generation of “information shoppers” are heavily influenced by what they find. A recent survey of 4,000 UK consumers by Interactive Intelligence revealed that 41% of us do feel influenced by online comments about a service, a retailer, or a brand.
In other words, your online presence on your website, on Facebook and on Twitter, are decisive in drawing consumers to you – or in driving them away.
You decide which it’s going to be!
The message is clear: if you want to find new customers, and grow your business these days, you cannot ignore the internet market. It is crucial to be beautifully presented online.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the numbers. As a nation, we certainly seem to be keeping out of the rain!
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) tells us that an Irish person spends 18 hours online each month, including almost 3 hours on Google and just over 4 hours on Facebook.
Last year, 43% of Irish adults made an online purchase – and the trend is upward. E-commerce is now reckoned to be worth €3.5 billion to the Irish economy. However, even these figures are dwarfed by the UK situation, as Britain has become Europe’s No. 1 e-commerce market.
Social media are now an integral part of Irish life. Approximately 70% of Irish internet users are now on Facebook, and there are 350,000 Irish Twitter accounts – with most Facebookers and Twits checking their accounts daily.
So what are you going to do? Build a great website and tap into the awesome power of social media – or hope that climate change will dry up the soft Irish rain?
from butterCloudHQ
