Canadian small businesses with a solidified online presence may see the most holiday sales
Canadian consumers are planning to do their homework - primarily online - this year before buying holiday gifts, making a web presence even more important for Canadian small businesses.
A recent survey from Google and OTX Research found that 86 percent of consumers plan to use the internet to research gifts before purchase, an increase of 11 percent over last year, CanWest News reported.
Social media marketing services will also play a crucial role this holiday season, as 20 percent of consumers will use Twitter and Facebook in their holiday shopping endeavors - 65 percent of which will use these sites to research gifts, 55 percent will look for coupons and discounts, 45 percent will ask family and friends what they want, and 44 percent will "read up" on potential purchases, said the news service.
An online presence - as well as coupon and discount offers - may make the difference between sinking and swimming this holiday shopping season for many Canadian small businesses, as Deloitte recently reported that 44 percent of Canadian shoppers plan to spend less on holiday shopping this year than they did last year.
