180 million people, in the United States alone, use the Web regularly for research as well as purchasing products and services! There is not a business or organization in existance that cannot benefit from a web site.

Digital economy is big and on the rise. Webpresence is imperical for every business.

At the end of March 2006, 42% of Americans had high-speed at home, up from 30% in March 2005, or a 40% increase. And 48 million Americans -- mostly those with high-speed at home -- have shopped on the internet.

In total, 84 million Americans now have high speed internet connections at home.

Wireless popularity increasing among information and communications technologies.

Over three-quarters (77%) of private sector firms reported using wireless communications in 2007, up from 51% just seven years earlier, when this survey began.

Information and communications technologies commonly used in the private sector include Internet and e-mail. About 87% of private sector firms used the Internet in 2007, up slightly from 2006, while 81% used e-mail. However, less than half (41%) of private sector firms reported having a website.

Although a website facilitates online sales, it also supports off-line sales by providing information about goods and services. Information provision was the most common website function reported by private sector firms.

Internet benefit: Improved coordination between suppliers and customers.

In the private sector, over one-third (36%) of firms reported using Internet-based systems during 2007 to better coordinate with their suppliers and customers. Lowering costs and reaching new customers were also commonly reported benefits of conducting business over the Internet.

Better coordination was also most commonly reported by the public sector (59%). Almost one-half (48%) of public sector organizations also reported cost reduction as a potential benefit.

In 2007 analysis about the distribution between sales channels where:
- 43% shopped online and in stores
- 18.3% shopped only in stores
- 17.8% shopped only online

In its report, eMarketer states that $470.7 billion of in store sales revenue has been influenced by the online channel.

A Forrester Research report on cross-channel consumer behavior reveals that buyers search for products online and then purchase them in store:
- 51% to obtain the product immediately
- 42% to see the product before buying it
- 40% to avoid paying shipping costs
- 27% find it more convenient to buy products in store

Major retailers have picked up the trend and offer more convenience to their multi-channel customers by:
- enabling them to buy online and pick up or return to store
- collect and use loyalty point across all channels
- check in store product availability