Risk: Informational
Established high street retailers are losing out to rivals because they are not good at marketing themselves online. Internet search Metrics (ISM) suggests that some high street stores are even difficult to find in a Google search so their competition, in the form of independent retailers, are winning the sale.
The only high street retailer who has "effectively engaged in this market place" according to ISM, is Tesco Direct.
Jonathan Brech of ISM says that "across the retailing sectors we are still seeing established retailers with significant marketing budgets fail to make an impact in internet search."
Mr Brech believes that even though 91% of the Internet users prefer using their own search results when making a purchase online, companies are spending more revenue on advertising rather than hiring someone to optimise search engine techniques.
UK online spending was worth £46.6bn last year, up 54% on the previous year.