Both anecdotal and empirical evidence support the case that advertising was the main factor in the growth or downfall of companies during [the Great Depression]. To put it bluntly, the companies which demonstrated the most growth and which rang up the most sales were those which advertised heavily.

The article goes on to talk about the growth in two new forms of advertising during the Great Depression: radio and direct mail.  So what are you doing to take advantage of said recession?  Whatever you do, cutting marketing is not the answer.

What it is: Open-source e-commerce software

What’s cool: It’s a robust e-commerce application, and it’s free to download. With Magento, sellers can manage multiple stores from one location, and shoppers can make side-by-side product comparisons and read customer reviews. Unlike most open-source software, Magento is relatively easy to use. Plus, it was designed to be simple to customize, so you can add or create new functions and features.

Drawbacks: Magento was first released last year, and some of its features are still in beta testing. Building a store with Magento does require technical expertise, but you can pay for help from Magento’s stable of 60 partners, which will handle things such as design and Web hosting.

Price: The software is free, but if you need technical support, it can cost from $500 to $4,000 per year.

Elias Interactive has technical expertise in customizing and installing Magento.  We can help you get up-and-running with killer online eCommerce tools.