Small Business Trends is Moving

This weekend (November 5 - 6, 2006) this site will be moving to a new domain, a new look, and a new software package -- WordPress.

Over the weekend we will be moving to a new address: http://www.smallbiztrends.com. If you go there now you will simply see a page listing the site features. You will know when the move has occurred, when you can see the newly re-designed blog at that page.

Please update your bookmarks with the new URL: http://www.smallbiztrends.com.

Also, the new RSS feed will be: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallBusinessTrends (NOTE: the previously posted URL was incorrect! If you subscribed to a different URL, please use this one now).

Chances are that the site may be unavailable temporarily for a short while, as the move is taking place. I am sorry for any inconvenience.

See you over at the new site!

Holiday 2005 Online Sales To Increase

The predictions for holiday 2005 sales are rolling in fast and furious for the United States market. Here is a rundown so far:

• Forrester Research forecasts that U.S. holiday sales on the Web will top $18 Billion in 2005. That is an increase of 25% over last year, and another 2.5 million shoppers online. And 79% of retailers are offering free shipping! That's a pretty amazing percentage doing the free shipping.



• Jupiter Research says that holiday sales online will reach $26 billion in the United States, an 18 percent increase over 2004. Jupiter also predicts that free shipping will be big this year.

Both reports indicate that what is driving more Web shopping is: (1) higher gasoline prices in the U.S., and (2) continuing broad adoption of the Web, i.e., more Americans are online and comfortable transacting business there.

For retailers that are primarily brick and mortar, doing more to push their online channels would be a good move. Also, retailers not offering free shipping will be at a competitive disadvantage -- so think about offering free shipping.

Small Business Trends Newsletter Now Online

Those of you who read this site using RSS feeds and newsreaders may be unaware that we offer a free monthly newsletter, too.

Join the 2000+ readers who like to receive the monthly newsletter because it contains a digest of the most popular articles on this site (by page views). You will also find important announcements and a Letter to the Editor feature, and links to offsite content. It's a good way to be reminded to come over and catch up on what's happening.

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Read the latest newsletter online here.

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