The trend toward greater use of the interent to conduct business, sell products and provide services continues to grow and shows no signs of abating. According to Statscan's 2006 Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology, on line sales showed double digit increases in volume for the fifth consecutive year. On line sales by private sector firms rose by 42% year over year. The retail sector showed, by far the largest growth, nearly doubling its previous level. Fifteen percent of all retail firms engaged in on line sales. While transaction volume seems to be growing, the percentage of firms engaged in e-commerce seems to be growing at a slower pace, at around 8% pa. Stating this in another way - volume of sales is increasing at a rapid pace but the number of firms offering items for sales is growing at a much slower pace. This really means that the firms that are currently engaged in on line sales are continuing to increase their sales while a large portion of their competitors, continue to ignore the potential profits from this new channel. The case for setting up on line, it seems, just got a boost.
A quote from Statscan's report on the survey -
“A large retail firm without a website is almost unheard of...80% of all retail firms with 100 or more employees had a website.”
A sector where there is far more participation by the various players is the business to business market. Here, nearly 19 % of all business to business transactions were conducted by e-commerce. It seems that if your business is one of selling to another business then in order to stay current and relevant, a website is a necessity and e-commerce a valuable addition.
Now is the time to launch your e-commerce operation. This is the time when on line sales are growing but the number of firms setting up and offering products and services is growing at a much slower pace.
Consider also that if you are not setting up to take advantage of this state of affairs, existing on line merchants and many merchants from the US are meeting this need and will continue to do so.
At CSTI we specialize in setting up websites, e-commerce operations and database dependent web applications. Please use our Contact Form to contact us.
Website Development
Secure websites optimized for internet marketing and ease of use
If your business does not have a website it is time you commissioned one. Rough estimates are that at least one in two businesses in Canada have a website. A website means you are part of the trend.
A website can confer may benefits to your business. A website elevates the status of your business to that of a savvy internet aware enterprise. This opens a number of avenues to you - base for internet selling, base to market you physical store, a vehicle to establish your business name, brand, market niche and image. No business can truly say that they cannot benefit from added exposure, and that is exactly what a website can do, provide much more exposure.
In addition to benefits quoted above a website can fill a number of basic needs of your business -
- Source for business information
- Bulletin Board for your business policies
- Provide support information for your products and services
- Provide forms and documents that your business needs or uses
- and a board for disseminating news concerning your business.
CSTI Website development
At CSTI we pay particular attention to some key issues in today's internet when developing your website. These are security, marketing and new technology. We look at security in conjunction with the total application rather then as an add-on to some parts of the application. When sensitive information is transmitted to and from your website we recommend and install processes for data encryption. We build marketing initiatives into your website from the ground up rather then as a add-on at a later stage. We use the latest technologies to give you an edge over your competition. And finally we do all of these at prices that will definitely provide you with savings over competitors' prices.
CSTI Service Commitments
Use our services and be assured of:
- reliable performance of the finished product
- excellent quality in all work performed
- cost savings over similar offerings by our competitors
- clear statements on work orders and of obligations
- service delivery as stipulated in contract
Resources
You read more about websites and their advantages in the Resources Page
Contact us using our Contact Form or call us at 250 244 3633
