For the e-commerce industry, 2008 was a challenging year, yet growth is still on par with last year, and it appears online store-owners are busier than ever meeting the demands of a maturing market. Here's a look at some of the issues and trends that marked the year, and will certainly continue to grab headlines in 2009.
Trying to Cash In on Social Sites
Perhaps the biggest conundrum of 2008 in regard to online sales was how to make a profit by marketing and selling on social networks such as Facebook. Widgets and special e-commerce applications abound for social networks, but so far, members seem to want to communicate more than they want to shop.
Still, word-of-mouth marketing is powerful, and research continues to cite the fact that consumers continue to share -- and trust -- information about products they gain through social networks, even if they aren't actually making purchases there. So, we're certain in the coming year we will see more services and technology designed to help online businesses both market and sell through these sites.
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