In 2011, many consumers tightened their budgets to combat the poor economic climate.

John Donahoe, global CEO at eBay, recently told Western Australia Today that many large U.S. retailers are trying to reach Australian consumers online by offering their products on eBay.

According to James Corby of Oracle Digital, an Australian SEO company, retailers will see improved sales and increase their consumer base if they develop an online presence.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia's latest sales indicator showed creative, technologically savvy retailers are reporting higher sales than their less innovative competitors.

Recent reports have pointed out that Australian retailers are struggling to gain ecommerce market share from international competitors; however, there are a number of homegrown ecommerce sites that are success stories.

Specialty Fashion Group, which owns the La Senza, Katies and Millers chains, recently decided to shift its focus from in-store activities to ecommerce trading.

Experts at Morgan Stanley recently reported that Amazon may focus its expansion efforts on Australia.

Australian shoppers are taking advantage of the strong dollar and purchasing items from online overseas retailers that offer the same items as Australian retailers at lower prices.

Open4Sale recently launched a person-to-person ecommerce solution that connects consumers and retailers using video conferencing technology to enable real-time interaction.

In an interview with Marketing Magazine, Drayton Bird, marketing expert and publisher, said he is teaching marketing students to introduce products and services online to reach more consumers.