January 10, 2007 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Web hosting provider Affinity Internet (http://www.affinity.com) has released the results of its 2006 eCommerce Survey Results, it was announced recently. The company’s 2nd annual survey took in more than 2,000 small business owners during the 2006 holiday season and results indicate shifts in online selling, advertising and marketing awareness. The survey mixed both Affinity’s current customers and those not purchasing the company’s services.
Affinity’s poll was a means of measuring shifts in ecommerce trends and how they will impact small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) during 2007. The results showed a high level of optimism amongst SMBs and an indication they will increase online efforts in areas which include search engine optimization (SEO) marketing and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising.
"Our ecommerce survey provides us with direct input from our clientele, which then helps us to create tools and services which drive our customers' success in the highly-competitive online marketplace," explained Affinity Internet’s Vice President of Marketing, Mr. John Enright. "Affinity customers use their web sites as an adjunct means of creating income or as a way to advertise their business, and this time of year is an excellent time for them to reevaluate business strategies as it relates to the Web. As a result, it is our responsibility to prepare our customers to take full advantage of online advertising opportunities, both meeting and exceeding their 2007 sales goals."
Results showed a clear differentiation between Affinity's customers and ‘non-Affinity customers’. Only 5% of non-Affinity customers were 'very knowledgeable' of online marketing technologies” while 46% suggested they “don't know enough about it/how to do it”. Affinity customers faired much better in all aspects of the results.
