Online firms must 'get the infrastructure right'
Internet Marketing, E-commerce
19 December 2007
The Christmas surge in internet traffic as shoppers look to find bargains online could cause problems for some website, experts have warned.
As advertisers and firms seek to ensure they optimise their sites to attract the traffic required to turn interest into returns, web hosting specialist Rackspace has advised firms to pay attention to the infrastructure.
Online spending is set to hit a new high this Christmas, with last month's Retail Experian FootFall Index indicating sales on the internet were overhauling those on the high street.
Hitwise reported a 22.4 per cent surge in online visits to all shopping and classifieds sites during November as the build up to the festive period began and Rackspace is advising site operators to be careful.
Fabio Torlini, marketing director, Rackspace, commented: "This festive season will see the heaviest levels of online traffic yet as discerning customers scour the web to get the best value for money.
"In this exceedingly competitive online marketplace, where profit margins are at its tightest and the health of the overall retail economy uncertain, the difference between closing or losing a sale could literally be a matter of seconds.
"The slightest delay in navigating a website could cause a customer to make the purchase at a competing site - a situation online retailers can ill afford at a time when the shopping frenzy is at its peak."
Among the most popular internet searches this Christmas have been those focusing on new gadgets such as the Wii or Apple's iPhone, as the internet commands an increasingly prominent place in shoppers' strategy.
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