The Death of the High Street?

If you ever needed a reason to underline the importance of SEO marketing, then look no further than the Office of National Statistics.

Retail figures for November 2010 are compelling. According to data released by the ONS, 10.5% of all retail sales were made via the internet compared to 7.9% during the same period last year. The ONS also suggested that there’s ‘anecdotal evidence’ of consumers browsing for items in shops, before returning home and purchasing them through online stores.

10.5% is an incredible achievement and shows that if you don’t have an online trading arm for your business then you’re missing out on a hugely lucrative market. The figure is even more impressive when you take the weather into consideration. Incredibly unpredictable, there was a real danger of people not receiving their items as December drew to a close, but they still put their faith in the online marketplace.

Of course, these figures are from the period running up to Christmas time, but it does show the amount of trust consumers put into buying products online. And why shouldn’t they? There is greater scope to find better value for something you’ve had your eye on with the amount of choice to be found online, without leaving the house.

But with all that value out there comes competition. As the amount of online consumers continues to grow, so do the number of websites offer fantastic deals and amazing savings. SEO techniques such as content writing and link building are crucial to keep one step ahead of them and get a larger slice of their business.

All that attention online though has to be taken away from somewhere else, and the first victim HAS to be the high street, with small businesses especially in danger of facing the chop. How can a small boutique cope against an amazing internet bargain that offers free next-day delivery?

The shop on the high street that doesn’t have a proper internet arm is, sadly, more likely to face closure if these sales figures increase in the future. So, as well as working hard on shop fronts and product displays, business managers are going to have to also contribute a lot of their time to their internet marketing strategy if they are to reap some serious rewards.