In Central America, more than 17 million people are looking to purchase educational services online, and 9% of these consumers are exploring options to purchase language courses.
The interactive information system developed by CentralAmericaData, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the new commercial environment that has emerged in an accelerated manner.
In Central America, nearly 3 million people are looking to purchase a beauty service or product online, and 31% of these consumers explore options for buying makeup and cosmetic items.
The interactive information system developed by CentralAmericaData, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the new commercial environment that has emerged in an accelerated manner.
Personal care items, vehicle accessories, food and beverages are some of the products most demanded by consumers, who have migrated to digital platforms to make their purchases.
In the current scenario of confinement due to the health crisis in the region, consumers have disappeared from physical stores and have migrated to digital platforms to buy their products.
In most Central American countries, vehicles are the main merchandise traded through web platforms.
According to the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport), according to the OLX marketing website in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama, vehicles are the most published product category.
Imbalances in the penetration of ICT services have created a significant gap allowing to continue to increase investment and the volume of resources allocated to broadband and the sector in general.
From the Executive Summary of a report by the CAF entitled "Expansion of Regional Infrastructure for Internet Interconnection Traffic in Latin America":
"Users of the microblogging network do not represent real-world consumers ."
Although the network has now reached 230 million users, experts are warning that they are not a fair sample of the population to which companies want to target their advertising messages.
"Twitter is a place for people addicted to their digital devices, who are terribly worried about missing out on the latest tweet by Edward Snowden and are faithful believers that the world is interested in reading all of their publications.
Devices connected to the internet will revolutionize consumption not only in terms of the way things are bought but also in the interaction between consumers and retailers.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
Mobile devices continue to change buying habits and defining the profile of the online shopper was the topic of discussion at Mobile Commerce Congress, the first conference dedicated exclusively to mobile commerce as a new sales tool for retailers, conducted in Spain.
"Businesses should be where their audiences are, and if consumers are currently online, that is where businesses belong."
An analysis of Google's most searched words on the web in the days before Valentine's Day, has revealed that searches by Costa Ricans for the word "Chocolate" for example, increased by 99% , while searches for "cards" increased by 43%, and “flowers” by 24%.
Executives of companies whose customers are other businesses, rely increasingly on the Internet to find information to guide them in the decision making process.
B2B (Business to Business) companies are a growing presence on the Internet, due to the fact that the number of its customers using the Internet for their business decisions is also increasing.
Courier companies project a growth of 35% in packages shipped by the end of year compared to 2010.
Jonathan Beltran, Aerocasillas’ marketing manager, said the company recorded an average flow of 4,000 packages per month between January and October (considered low season) and for the months of November and December (considered high season) , they project an average of 8,000 per month.
Web users expect a lot from shopping sites, but their focus is on the fundamentals that facilitate purchasing.
An article in eMarketer.com discussed a recent report called “Revolutionizing Website Design”, which stated that the most important feature of e-commerce sites, according to consumers, is “clearly presented pricing and shipping information” followed by “indications of credibility and trustworthiness”.
An internet business can be started with relatively low investment, but in order to be successful we need more than just a good idea.
The market is global, distribution costs are minimal, and the only required infrastructure is a computer and an internet connection. These factors – and generally, low entry costs – are very attractive to many entrepreneurs, who dedicate time and resources to create online enterprises.
A new web site helps understand what is advertising targeted to user interests, and how to protect privacy online.
IAB Spain, a representative of the Internet Advertising Industry, launched a website on Internet privacy, which aims to help the user protect its privacy and inform on how targeted advertising and cookies work.
When digital advertising fails, do not blame the medium without analyzing if the design of the ad is in line with it.
Phillip W. Sawyer writes in an article in Advertising Age that the effectiveness of an online campaign can be seriously hampered by mistakes made by designers who do not know the specific requirements of digital communication.
Sawyer lists 7 key mistakes when designing online advertising, identified after extensive research.
The economic crisis hasn't stopped the rapid growth in Internet commercial transactions.
Brazil, Argentina and Mexico report the highest e-commerce growth in Latin America, according to analysts participating in the conference "The next generation Internet V.3.0 Economy".
Despite the crisis, which has forced consumers to reduce their retail purchases, e-commerce has not been affected.