The Thomas Register recently released the results of their Visa Purchasing Survey. The survey queried more than 3,300 individuals in a variety of industries including manufacturing, government, engineering, and construction, and found that the percentage of businesses using the Internet for purchasing will grow from 39 to 55% over the next 12 months. This increase translates into a 75% increase in purchasing volume on the Web.
Forty percent of the 3,000 surveyed reported that they are purchasing on-line at least once a week. More than 25% of those surveyed buy between $1,000 and $10,000 worth of products per month on-line. An additional 8% purchase more than $10,000 worth of products per month.
Some other findings:
The primary reasons stated by respondents for purchasing on the Internet were convenience, 24-hour availability, accessing information in a time efficient manner, and quick-response time. The top reasons for not purchasing on-line included security concerns, the need to receive invoices or purchase orders before delivering payment, and concern over product and service guarantees.
The majority of respondents said that the availability of a merchant's products on-line would have a favorable bearing on their decision to choose one vendor over another. According to Ryan Ross, Vice President of Business E-commerce for Visa U.S.A., "This survey indicates that the opportunities for on-line buyers and suppliers are growing at a tremendous rate."
For more information about the survey access http://www.thomasregister.com/new.asp.
