Website design industry buzzing as dollar rides high

Recently released data indicate that both the Australian and New Zealand dollars remain strong in the wake of the global financial crisis compared with many other nations that have experienced significant setbacks to their economies and currencies. The data is good news for web designers in Melbourne and around Australia.

Further to this, a recent National Australia Bank (NAB) Online Retail Sales Index shows that domestic Australian retailers are growing more and more confident with multichannel selling and are choosing to explore online retail as both an alternative and an additional avenue to their traditional offline operations.

The present strength of the dollar means Australians are able to buy products and services cheaper from overseas-based online stores. This in turn gives them greater confidence in the power of ecommerce to deliver great value – and ultimately gets more people interested and confident in using the web to browse for and buy products.

But these recent pieces of information really serve to illustrate that both sides of the ecommerce industry – website design in Melbourne and around Australia, the clients they serve and their customers – are growing more confident and capable of using the online world for business.

The NAB index shows that close to 2 million non-cash transactions happen every day in this country. A huge part of that figure is accounted for by credit card purchases made by online shoppers. Online auctions, department stores, fashion, cosmetics and variety stores make up almost half of total online spending, while entertainment accounts for about 21% and groceries and alcohol 13%.

In the year to June, online sales in Australia amounted to almost $12 billion. Given the dollar’s current strength and consumers’ (particularly, it should be noted, those in their 30s and 40s) growing confidence in and preference for buying products and services on the Internet, it’s fair to say there’s never been a better time for getting into ecommerce.

The Australian dollar’s recent gains mean it’s easier for online businesses to source products overseas and bring them to local audiences at significantly lower prices than traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses can afford. It’s also important to remember that the sentiment associated with buying locally is still very much alive among consumers – most people, given a choice (provided the price is right) will buy locally and support businesses from their own community.

In summary, now is a great time to take your existing business online, or start a new one and run it solely online. The dollar is strong and consumer spending is favouring both online and local retail.