Research firm DCI, confirmed that 50,000 corporations in the USA have Web-Sites that offer on-line shopping, Australian companies are following this trend. Forrester Research Group reported that sales of goods and services on the Internet will grow 2,400% from $US200 Million in 1994 to $US4.8 Billion in 1998. A Nielsen study confirmed that 55% of the Internet uses search for information on ordering products and services. International Data Corporation forecasts that "e" Commerce revenues will reach $US7 Billion by 1999.

Australia has the highest per capita population accessing the Internet in the world according to Leo Burnett Connaghan & May. Projections from market research firm International Data Corp. indicate that 9 Million computer users will order $US5.4 Billion worth of products on the Internet this year. Forrester Research forecasts business to business "e" Commerce for the USA at $US66 Billion in Internet related revenues.

International Data Corp. projects that growth of sales, combined with an increase in the number of users buying and selling products and services on the World Web will boost global commerce on the Internet to over $US100 Billion by the year 2000. In 1995 there were 50 Million Internet users globally. According to The Economist magazine this population has doubled every year since 1990 and will continue to do so. According to the Direct Marketing Association of USA, 113 million American catalogue shoppers will order more than $US7.5 Billion worth of products by 1999. BRW Australia describes the Australian Internet Market as; ideally situated to perform well in the coming information based economy. Australia has profound advantages: Australia has a sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure; Australia is predominantly English speaking, well-educated nation; Australia has demonstrated capacity to adopt and exploit new technology ahead of the rest of the world.

There are 1 Million Australian people with Internet access, and the Internet usage is growing at a rate of 15% / Month. Major companies and Government Departments are applying their focus of having a presence on the Internet. Already an Internet banking market exists in Australia. The Advance Bank / St George Banks offers a comprehensive range of Internet services, and this bank has secured more than 12,000 customers since 1995 and is adding approx.800 new customers per month. The bank is currently handling 1,500 Internet transactions per day. According to a study by Ernst & Young more than 60% of Australian banks will have Internet services by 1999. BRW Australia reports that the business to business "e" Commerce market is undoubtedly the place where Internet fortunes will be made. The Yankee Group estimates Web based business to business orders will grow from $US1 Billion last year to nearly $US134 Billion by the year 2000. Forester Research on the other hand, said that this market generated $US600 Million last year, and by the year 2000 will be $US70 Billion.

BRW Australia confirmed that General Motors have already committed itself to buying $US2 Billion worth of components through the Internet by 1999. BRW Australia reported that networking giant Cisco, (one of the early pioneers of business to business "e" Commerce promoting their product, Electronic Data Interchange Routers over the Internet) is projecting hardware sales of $US1 Billion over the World Web. BRW Australia reported that in the media industry the "Wall Street Journal" is just another example of how the Internet is changing the way company’s do business; it is earning $US50.00 from each of its 50,000 subscribers to an interactive edition earning $US2.5 Million per annum over the Internet.

There are two fundamental applications that should be achieved from any Internet site:

The dissemination of information such as:

• Product information;
• Corporate information;
• Customer Service and Support;
• Sales Force support;
• PR and Media releases.
  

The gathering of information such as:

• Lead generation;
• Prospect qualification;
• Market research;
• Database enhancement.

A Georgia Tech study revealed that 33.5% of the Internet users had purchased at least once; and 14.5% purchase products regularly on the Internet; and 7.5% of Internet users purchase products daily. In the last few years sales on the World Web have grown from just $US1 Million per month to $US250 Million per month by the start of 1997.