Request Reprint Send us your request to reprint copyrighted material. The Internet is the fastest growing marketplace in the history of the world. In 1997, 19.7 million Americans visited retail websites, according to Media Metrix, a Web rating service. Suddenly, e-commerce has emerged as a huge opportunity for savvy entrepreneurs. Online shoppers love the convenience of buying products on the Internet.
Consumers also like the wide variety of products found on the Internet.
Even consumers who don't buy products online use the Internet to identify, qualify and select vendors. In other words, small companies are doing better than big ones. That's because the Web's worldwide reach can instantly transform a small outfit into a global distributor. 7-days a week. Like large corporations, small businesses are taking advantage of many other benefits of marketing products over the Internet.