Yankee Group predicts big business from catering to small business on the web
Small business owners face increasing complexity in doing business online, and that means a growing market for outside companies that can design their web sites, interactive marketing and e-commerce strategies, according to a new study by the Yankee Group.
The Boston consulting firm said that while it's study found small and mid-sized businesses are increasingly doing business on the web, methods of online sales and marketing are growing so complex that many of those companies will soon no longer be able to handle such tasks on their own.
That scenario, the company said, means much more business for companies catering to small business on the Internet. Revenue for web hosting companies, it predicted, will rise to $5.4 billion by 2010 from $4.4 billion last year. Over the same period, the market for web-based services like site design and e-commerce setup is expected to grow from $2.9 billion to $4.1 billion.
(By Keith Reed, Globe staff)
