|
|
The fourth quarter proved one of the most successful ever for online small business retailers. A study conducted by web hosting company Affinity Internet found that more than 40 percent of such companies reported sales increases this holiday season compared to last. Of those businesses, 79 reported sales jumps of more than 10 percent. Half of those claimed sales spikes of more than 20 percent. Collectors’ items were the hottest small business property during the e-tailing season. Sixty percent of companies reporting increased sales were those selling collectors’ items. Buying wasn’t the only thing that rose. Traffic to the sites increased an average of 43 percent during the fourth quarter. Affinity also garnered some statistics regarding online small business owners. Seventy-five percent are male, and 54 percent have a four-year college degree or higher. Eighty percent are older than 30. Most (68 percent) have one to five employees. In other holiday e-commerce wrap-up news, VeriSign’s analysis revealed that merchants’ total online payments transactions soared by 75 percent last year versus 2001. Consumers spent more than $13.5 billion online, and average spending per transaction for VeriSign’s top 50 merchants increased from $43.91 in December 2001 to $123.85 last month.
Microsoft chasing EC deal to avoid long trial
Microsoft doesn’t want to endure another anti-trust lawsuit like the one it trudged through on its home turf. The Redmond, Wash.-based company soon will present a settlement to the European Commission in hopes of avoiding a second battle. The European Union has accused Microsoft of committing market abuses like those it perpetrated at home. The U.S. case recently reached a settlement, although two states are appealing what they term the soft decision. Although neither side has commented on the EC-Microsoft deal, many believe it will involve concessions similar to those in the U.S. plan. EU regulators have charged that the company designs Windows to work more effectively with its own server software than others, cutting into potential business for the operating system Linux or other versions of Unix. Officials also say that by including Microsoft’s Media Player with Windows, the company hurts usage rates of rivals RealNetworks and Apple’s QuickTime. The Commission says that its goal is not to punish Microsoft, but to balance the scales of competition.
Raider searches outnumber Buc hunts on Yahoo
The latest Las Vegas lines have the Oakland Raiders favored by 3.5 to five points over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this Sunday’s Super Bowl. The court of public opinion, or at least Yahoo! opinion, seems to favor the Raiders, too. Of course, Raiders fans were ahead from the beginning – Yahoo reports that while more fans have used the site to search for the Raiders this week, Buccaneers searches are increasing at a faster rate. Searches for the latter have surged by 500 percent, while searches for the former jumped by just 150 percent. Super Bowl ticket searches increased by 300 percent, and overall Super Bowl inquiries jumped by 175 percent. The most popular player searches by football fans are Raider Tim Brown and Buc Joe Jurevicius. Former Raiders/current Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden is also near the top of the Super Bowl terms list. But Keyshawn Johnson, Warren Sapp and Jerry Rice all lag behind perhaps the most popular group that will appear at the game, the Raiderettes.
Study: Email use helps nonprofits' cash appeals
Nonprofits would be wise to take their fund-raising campaigns online. A new study by Kintera finds that groups raising money via the internet produce exponentially greater contributions both on- and offline than nonprofits that do not solicit via email. The study included 625 groups, and found that those that used email generated an average $327 from 6.99 donors (including themselves). Those that did not solicit online generated only an average $55 from 1.48 donors (including themselves). The study found that the more emails sent to potential contributors, the more money raised overall. Kintera attributes the rise to online volunteers receiving contributions in person as well as online. The company predicts that national nonprofits such as American Cancer Society and Big Brothers, Big Sisters will continue adopt the internet as an integral part of fund-raising campaigns as more organizations get online.
Chancellor steals shirt off your back in new game
German citizens weren’t kidding when they complained last year that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was trying to steal the shirt off their backs. In a new internet game, the cartoon politico does just that. When Schroeder announced plans for an unpopular tax hike last year, thousands of Germans sent shirts to his office in protest. The new game gives those outraged voters a chance to play Schroeder themselves. Players use a hook to yank the shirts from passersby in a supermarket parking lot. When Schroeder wins, he lets out a belly laugh. When he fails, a pretty good imitation of his voice intones, “I’ll get you, too, in the end, matey!” Schroeder narrowly won re-election in September, and introduced the new taxes soon after. The game, found at www.das-kanzlerspiel.de, has been accessed by more than 30,000 players since its Dec. 19 launch. Schroeder hasn’t commented on the game, but it’s a safe bet he’s unhappy – he has publicly disparaged the writer of the No. 1 German hit “The Tax Song,” which ridicules his broken election promises.
January 23, 2003© 2003 Media Life
Printer-Friendly
Version | Send
to a Friend
Cover Page | Contact
Us