10 reasons you should start your online business

Ponder the following statistics: even though falling, the average increase of online trading is 25% annually. 81% of small entrepreneurs who had online presence during 2010 gained new clients and increased their sales and profitability according to the research by Harris Interactiv.

If this failed to convince you that you should have an online segment of operation please consider the following 10 points that offer additional solid reasons to start your online presence.

1. New market
   
   Internet created a new market that already changed our concept of traditional business with it's explosive growth. Companies like Amazon and Ebay established absolute domination in niches where only a few years earlier traditional "brick and mortar" businesses ruled with an iron fist. But in order to be successful online you do not need to be the size of Amazon or Ebay. Many small and medium sized companies built a very successful online presence. In fact, the research shows that small and medium companies will grab the major part of growth of online trade in the years to come.
   
   
2. Internet is the perfect environment for business
   
   In order to achieve a sale in a traditional "brick and mortar" business a customer usually must enter your store. On the web, your store is usually just one click away from a potential customer. With correct marketing, your internet store can have far more customers than you can even hope to achieve in a "brick and mortar" shop.
   
   
3. Company image
   
   Weather you do business online or not in the modern world you just have to have an online presence. In case you fail to take this admonition seriously you are in a rather realistic danger of not being taken seriously by quite a number of potential customers. Attractive and functional company web site certainly raises the company image. Especially if relevant and high quality product is presented in a professional manner.
   
   
4. Better customer support
   
   Attaining and retaining customers is certainly a critical factor in a business process. Thanks to the internet technologies, customer support has become far more effective. Better customer support directly increases customer satisfaction and increase of profitability.
   
   
5. Easier information access
   
   Just a few years ago companies needed days to deliver the goods or information to their clients. Today, thing operate quite different. Today, using internet technologies, it is almost trivial to update information related to the company or product and publish the updated information within a matter of minutes.
   
   
6. Cutting the costs
   
   New technologies enable you to move almost every part of your operations online. Delivery, invoicing, ordering, mediation and similar processes can all be partly or in whole moved online. Optimizing these processes through online technologies can reduce costs dramatically. For example it is quite realistic to attain 5% reduction in the costs of maintenance, reparation and running expenses. These 5% can be translated into even greater total profit.
   
   
7. Ability to operate 24 hours a day for pennies
   
   How else can you still achieve sales even when the staff is in the dream world? One of the greatest advantages of online sales is that your online store can be open 24 hours a day all around the world. Thanks to the online technologies, while your "brick and mortar" shop is closed, your online store can still generate sales.
   
   
8. Small initial expenses
   
   Starting a web site does not require large initial investments. Web sites are very flexible tools that can be gradually upgraded in respect with demands and traffic increase. It is not rare that a web site pays off it's initial investment within only 12 months. Almost unimaginable in a traditional business.
   
   
9. Your actual location becomes less relevant
   
   Internet enables you to do business from almost any corner of the world. Your actual, physical location, expect in a few cases, becomes far less important.
   
   
10. Become global
    
    Thanks to the online technologies you can become a global player almost immediately. Even for this you will not need huge amounts. There are literally hundreds of vertical and horizontal internet markets. For a nominal fee, in such markets you can gain access to a large number of potential customers all around the globe.

As in any business, online business needs same ingredients for success. A good idea, a great business plan, the value offered to the client and your personal resolve to succeed and nothing less.

We wish you good fortune and success in your online ventures of 2011.