10 Trends That Could Create Fantastic Online Business Opportunities

Petrol/Gas Price Rollercoaster

• The massive petrol/gas rises at the end of '08 shocked the world. This has focused governments, businesses and individuals on improving fuel efficiency and finding alternatives
  
• Reduced car travel to stores is leading to an rapid increase in online shopping
• Reduced business travel is leading to increase in online collaboration, video conferencing and online project management
• Reduced commuting is leading to an increase in teleworking
• More people are staying closer to home for work and leisure activities so local search is becoming more important
  
• Fuel and energy saving devices and micro power generation will become big business
  

Recession

• Job losses are leading to increase in self employment
• The self employed will look to the internet as a low cost way to start their own business. There is already a rapid increase in Internet micro-businesses start-ups
• Big companies will look to reduce permanent staff and look to fill gaps through outsourcing and using contractors. Many of these people will be found and work via the Internet
• One upside of recession (of which there aren't many) is a steady increase in revenues in all areas of Internet business (advertising, paid content, ecommerce, information products, etc)

Massive Fall In Credit

• A year ago anyone could get credit for just about anything. Today the money has dried up across the developed world
• The fall in lending will lead to people making better use of what they have. Computers will be upgraded rather than replaced. Shoes will be mended instead of being thrown out.
• People will do free laisure activities instaed of paying for them. Walking and cycling will go up as gym memberships decline. Camping will become more popular. Cinemas will suffer as people stay at home. Home cooking, or at least takeaways, will boom as restaurants decline
• Home owners will extend and upgrade their existing properies rather than move
  

Death of Print Publishing

• Print publishers are being hit from all sides. Printing and distribution costs are rapidly rising as readership and advertising revenues are falling. Everyday a magazine or newspaper closes
• Publishing is moving online. Niche publishing is working best
  

Apple iPhone

• 86% of Apple iPhone users regularly surf the web from their mobiles compared with 56% and 13% of smartphone and mobile phone users respectively. The Apple iPhone is single handedly changing the uptake of the mobile web
• Apple Apps have started putting the smarts into smart phones
• Every mobile operator and phone manufacturer is scrabbling to catch up
• The mobile web is finally set to take off – any data, anytime, anywhere

Localization

• One of the greatest strengths of the web is that it gives every business global reach for zero cost. However in the US people still spend 80% of their money within 50 miles of their home. In other developed countries the numbers are similar.
• Google recently put their own satellite into orbit to improve their mapping software. Why? Because they know that the most under-exploited area for online advertising is local businesses seeking local customers
• Expect the localisation of the web to boom over the next 24 months largely driven by Google
• Local content, local advertising, local online communities

Micro-Outsourcing

• Outsourcing is already a well established way of doing business. However it has tended to be large businesses outsourcing big chunks of their activities e.g. call centres to India
• Micro-outsourcing is about small businesses and individuals outsourcing small activities to other small businesses and individuals via the web
• With a greater number of individuals making their livelihoods online combined with global reach, micro-outsourcing will boom

Nichification of all Markets

• Chris Andersen’s Long Tail theory established the principle of markets breaking into niches. Now we are seeing this trend accelerating.
• It has long been believed that eBay has such a strong position in the auctions market that they can’t be beaten. However we are now seeing niche auction sites gaining momentum in areas such as holidays, wine, collectibles, domain names and human services.
• In online publishing large portals are losing market share to niche websites
• In ecommerce, niche online stores are nibbling away at the big stores
• Every subject and sector will be broken down into smaller and smaller niches

Death of DRM

• Content owners are being put under increasing pressure to remove digital rights management from their content, particularly music. This is now slowly happening. Once it builds momentum, all major content producers will be forced to follow suit
• Content producers (writers, musicians, film producers, etc) will be forced to look at innovative ways of generating money from their content rather than relying on one-off sales

Price More Important Than Saving the Planet

• Fewer people will pay a premium for green and healthier products. Organic fruit and veg is suffering. Value ranges are booming
• Green products and services will have to price match non-green products and services to survive the recession

Post Recession Boom

• When we come out of recession, which we surely will, the sectors that have suffered most will grow fastest - property, jobs sites, travel, business start-up services, venture capital
• Plan now for this boom

Conclusion

• Think niche
• Think local as well as global reach
• Think mobile – access anytime, anywhere
• Think about outsourcing routine tasks or offer outsourced services to others
• Think about how you can help people make money or save money in tough economic times
• Think about the thousands of people trying to make their livelihood online
• Think about large organisations trying to reduce costs
• Think about a world without DRM
• Think about the post recession boom