Google senior: Israel lags behind in e-commerce
Carlo d'Asaro Biondo claims Israel falls short in online trade despite being technology, internet leader. Says only 2% of Israeli businesses accept online payment
According to Biondo, president Seemea (Southern and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa) operations at Google, only 2% of Israeli businesses accept online payment.
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"This is a paradox. Israel is in fourth place in the world in internet searches for product purchases, smartphone use in Israel is very high, as is the use of smartphones to check products and make price comparisons at a store," he said. "The problem is that e-commerce contributes just 0.5% of GDP."
Biondo believes that in the near future businesses without websites will not be able to exist. According to him, 75% of Israelis who surf the web tend to research a product online before purchasing it. Biondo estimated that the electronic trade will reach an estimated $963 billion by the end of 2013.
The focus of this year's Israel Internet Association Conference was Y-generation consumers, specifically e-commerce and social protests and the cyber world.
A recent MasterCard poll found that 51% of Israelis own a smartphone, and 50% of all cell phones users would like to use their device for financial transactions.
New initiative to make a change?
In an attempt to make a change, Google and Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, together with iDigital, Apple, Israel Postal Company and Cal - Israel Credit Cards Ltd., have launched a new initiative on Wednesday designated to set up professional websites for some 20,000 small businesses within a year.
According to the plan, small businesses will receive free tips and assistance to help them integrate online, such as: Professional business websites, free web addresses for a year, technical support, visiting cards which will include the new website address, and much more.
All in all, these perks will be worth over NIS 40 million (Over $10 million).
Checkout the initiative's website: http://www.asakimonline.co.il
