For us the most important, and frankly eye-opening, statistic was that while most metrics were down (3Q vs year ago: sales were down 3% , number of transactions per buyer were down 16.4%, dollars spent per buyer down 18.4% and dollars per transaction were down 2.4%) – the number of people shopping online was up a whopping 19.6%. So, even in a recession, the number of people shopping online was up almost 20%. Yes, they are spending less money, but when they do need to purchase something they are turning to the Internet. 

Habits are changing. As the economy gets better (and eventually it will), new shopping habits will be in place for people and e-commerce will once again be poised for growth.

So if your e-commerce has not been bringing in the numbers you had hoped for, now is the time to look at your website and start investing in it. The buyers are out there, and there will only be more of them in the coming years. Make sure your site is set up to convert as many visitors into customers as possible. If you focus on conversion and user experience now, your business will be set to grow.