Monday, November 20, 2000
Webmaster Techniques Magazine Helps Webmasters Define
Their Website's Succes
Millions of Websites will be competing for the attention
of 245 million households.
(Santa Barbara, CA) Webmaster Techniques Magazine, a
free online publication for Webmasters, has unveiled
new features, resources, and a complete redesign to further
assist Webmasters in the competitive online marketplace.
According to Jupiter Research, 245 million households
worldwide will be online by 2005. Furthermore, thousands
of new Websites are starting up daily to compete with
this audience. There are already 10 million domain names
registered and that number will skyrocket next year when
ICANN introduces new domain extensions like .biz, .info,
and .pro to name a few.
Webmaster Techniques Magazine was designed to be a one-stop
source of information and tools to help Webmasters compete
in the intense marketplace. The focus of the magazine
is in helping Webmasters and Web marketers gain an advantage
over competitors.
Webmaster Techniques Magazine features daily news (365
days a year), tools like Meta Tag generators and search
engine submit scripts, the latest Internet research,
reviews of Website related products, links to free CGI
scripts, marketing articles, and techniques for succeeding
online. The site contains hundreds of pages of content.
One of the newest features of Webmaster Techniques Magazine
is the Domain Generator. Every day five new domain names,
that have been deleted from the public registry, are
put on display in the Domain Generator for Webmasters
to grab on a first come, first serve basis. The names
are selected based on their overall impact in select
subjects.
"Webmasters are busy people and it is important
that they can find effective information quickly and
in one place," says Joe Tracy, publisher of Webmaster
Techniques Magazine and author of Web Marketing Applied. "We
are continually enhancing our free services in order
to better meet the needs of our readers — Webmasters
and Web marketers. By giving them everything they need
in one location, Webmasters and Web marketers can focus
more on defining the success of their Website."
Webmaster Techniques Magazine is located at www.webmastertechniques.com.
World Is a Small Place With Online Attitudes and Actions
Internet access may vary greatly from country to country,
but consumers around the globe reveal strikingly similar
practices, plans and perspectives when it comes to
the burgeoning new online medium, according to the
2000 American Express Global Internet Survey.
The survey report entitled, "Online Attitudes Move
In Line Across the Globe," reveals that nearly half
(46%) of all consumers polled are embracing the convenience
and global reach of the Internet for a variety of activities
-- from communication and research to shopping and banking
-- with many more expecting to join the ranks of Web
surfers in the coming months. At the same time, however,
the findings highlight that Web-related issues making
headlines in the U.S. media -- privacy, security and
service quality -- are also being voiced as strong concerns
by many consumers around the globe.
The survey polled 11,410 Internet users and non-users
across ten countries -- Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Sweden,
and the United States -- to understand their behaviors
and attitudes when it comes to the Worldwide Web.
More Consumers Getting Online
A significant 46% of all consumers polled said they currently
have access to the Internet from some location such
as home, work or school. The survey confirms, however,
that Internet penetration and availability varies widely
from country to country. At least three out of five
people in the United States (66%), Canada (60%) and
Australia (60%) reported access. In contrast, only
about one-third of consumers in Argentina (35%), Great
Britain (35%), Brazil (32%) and Japan (27%) are online
today. Sweden tops the ten nations with nearly three-quarters
(74%) of the population already surfing the Web.
Optimistically, the survey also indicates that more
consumers within each country expect to be moving online
shortly. Fully 20% of those without access today intend
to be online within the next 12 months. Brazil and Argentina
expect the greatest number of new Internet users at 33%
and 31%, respectively. Overall, Internet access across
the ten nations polled is anticipated to reach 57% within
one year.
Consumers Embracing Web's Resources and Convenience
While email communication (74%) and information gathering
(73%) are, by far, the most predominant applications
of the Internet, the survey shows consumers globally
are moving steadily toward more advanced activities
such as online shopping, banking and booking travel.
Across all ten countries, an overall 28% of current
and future Internet users said they are either shopping
online today or expect to within the next year. Those
in Hong Kong are leading this trend with over half (54%)
indicating that they already or will shop online, followed
by the United States (39%) and Sweden (28%).
In addition, nearly one-quarter (24%) of current and
future Internet users said they currently or intend to
make financial transactions online. This activity is
particularly popular in Sweden where almost half (46%)
said they will be handling their finances electronically
in the next year. More than one-third (36%) of respondents
in Australia expressed similar plans.
Other budding online activities include travel research
and bookings (39%) and checking credit card balances
online (17%).
Tickets, Books Top Online Purchases
Consumers around the world also show similarities in
what they are buying on the Internet. The majority
of online purchases are small-ticket items, like event
tickets (46%) and books (40%), followed by videos,
CDs and computer games (28%). While comparatively low,
respondents across all ten countries also expressed
some likelihood to purchase more expensive items on
the Internet, such as stocks (21%), electronics (20%)
and household appliances (16%).
According to the survey, Internet users overall plan
to make an average of six purchases online over the next
12 months. Australians and Americans, in particular,
show the greatest number of expected purchases during
this period, with an average of eight and seven, respectively.
Security, Service Impeding Web's Progress
Despite the promising movement toward online purchasing,
the American Express survey highlights that consumers
still overwhelmingly prefer the traditional shopping
experience. In fact, 72% of all respondents said they
would be more likely to use the Internet to browse
and comparison shop, but actually purchase from a "real
world" store. Similarly, roughly four-in-five
(84%) consumers acknowledged that they still prefer
to physically see the item they are considering and
deal directly with a live person.
This trepidation could be linked to further survey findings
that reveal widespread concern among consumers when it
comes to Internet security and service. Almost four-in-five
(79%) people across all ten countries cited security
and privacy issues when purchasing or making financial
transactions online as a concern. Over three-quarters
(76%) of all respondents were concerned about service
issues, such as returning goods bought on the Internet.
According to Jim Cracchiolo, Group President, Global
Financial Services at American Express, the trends and
tendencies reflected in the survey offer compelling insights
into the common global ground that exists within the
online world.
"Consumers worldwide are clearly excited about
the advantages and opportunities offered by the Internet," he
says, suggesting that "the market opportunity is
in removing the barriers -- like the hassles of returning
merchandise and ensuring protection of customer information
-- that our survey findings tell us may be impeding consumers
from more fully exploiting the Web's comprehensive capabilities."
Brand a Major Online Factor
When asked which attributes would most influence their
online shopping experience, consumers around the world
ranked trust in the brand name -- of the product (81%)
and of the retailer (78%) -- among the most important
factors when buying online. Other influential attributes
online buyers look for are Web sites with good descriptions
and photos of their products or services (84%), and
local language options (83%). Not unexpectedly, price
-- perhaps the most important factor online and off
-- ranked highest at 85%.
"This is where well-established brands have a clear
advantage," says Cracchiolo. "Our findings
confirm that consumers are generally more comfortable
doing business over the Internet with a retailer or supplier
they have grown to rely on in the offline world. Companies
that can effectively transfer that recognized trust and
quality to the virtual environment can excel."
Consumers Seeks More Web Knowledge
The American Express survey results also suggest that
consumers might be inclined to make better use of the
Internet if they are more informed about its uses and
capabilities. Roughly two-thirds (67%) of all respondents
acknowledged they should know more about the Internet
than they currently do. This view was especially high
in Argentina (87%), Hong Kong (86%) and Brazil (84%).
Also, only about 40% of consumers worldwide felt they
were making good use of the information and services
the Internet has to offer, suggesting that there remains
significant opportunity to educate the global public
about the online world.
