Saturday, June 9, 2012

As Traditional Web Site Adoption Slows, Facebook and Other Social ...

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) ?
Since the 1990s, Web sites have provided a relatively inexpensive way
for businesses to efficiently reach local and international prospects.
Still, this basic form of online promotion continues to be perceived by
many as difficult and costly to set up and maintain, and less than half
of home-based businesses currently have a Web site. Seizing this
opportunity, Facebook and others have made getting online less expensive
and complicated than traditional Web site development; as a result,
social platforms are becoming key enablers of the promotional and
commercial activities of home-based businesses.

A new study from International Data Corporation (IDC)
forecasts Web site ownership and online selling in U.S. full-time and
part-time home-based business markets through 2016. In addition to
presenting home-based business counts, promotional and commercial
activities are discussed including the use of social networking, email
marketing, search engine optimization, search engine marketing (SEM),
Web site optimization for mobile devices, banner advertisements, and the
use of ecommerce platforms including eBay.com, craigslist.org, and
Amazon.com.

Key findings of this study include the following:

?
Of the approximately 27 million total businesses in the United States,
roughly three in four were home-based businesses at the end of 2011.

?
Just over half of full-time home-based businesses currently have Web
sites compared with less than 40% of part-time ventures.

?
Approximately 40% of home-based businesses use social networks to
promote their businesses. Social networking is still more often used
as a supplement to Web site ownership than a substitute for it, but
roughly 20% of home-based businesses currently promote themselves on
social networks and do not have a conventional Web site.

?
Nearly 40% of home-based businesses selling online do so without a Web
site of their own, leveraging the high traffic of prominent
destinations such as eBay, Amazon, craigslist, and other online
marketplaces.

?
The home-based business market opportunity is significant for software
engineers, app developers, and Web site resource providers, with a
relatively modest percentage of home-based businesses with Web sites
currently practicing search engine optimization (SEO) or optimizing
their Web sites for mobile device browsers.

?Web sites have provided a relatively inexpensive way for businesses to
efficiently reach local and international markets since the 1990s ? and
yet less than half of home-based businesses currently have them,? said Justin
Jaffe, research manager for Small/Medium-Sized
Business and Home
Business Research at IDC. ?Social networks have made online
promotion less expensive and complicated, and Facebook and other social
networks will become increasingly key players in empowering the
marketing and commercial activity of home-based businesses.?

In U.S.
Home-Based Business Online 2012?2016 Forecast: Assessing the Impact of
Facebook on Web Sites and Commercial Activity Online (IDC
#234951), forecasts Web site ownership and online selling as well as
broadband Internet access and PC ownership in U.S. full-time and
part-time home-based business markets through 2016. In addition to
presenting home-based business counts, other topics discussed include
promotional and commercial activities including the use of social
networking, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), search
engine marketing (SEM), Web site optimization for mobile devices, and
banner advertisements and the use of ecommerce platforms including
eBay.com, craigslist.org, and Amazon.com. Additional details are
available to IDC clients by request. Follow Justin Jaffe on Twitter:
@justinjaffe.

About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the
premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and
events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer
technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and
the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology
purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide
global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry
opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 48 years,
IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their
key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world?s leading
technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about
IDC by visiting
www.idc.com .

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.

SOURCE: International Data Corporation (IDC)

International Data Corporation
Justin Jaffe, 207-210-7986
jjaffe@idc.com
or
Michael Shirer, 508-935-4200
press@idc.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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