More workers "commute" via computer

It seems more and more workers in the US aren't traveling the highways on their way to work. Instead, they are traveling the information superhighway - the World Wide Web - on their daily commute. A recent survey from Citrix Online shows that 23% of American workers work from a computer rather than a physical office.

by Kristina Knight

More than 40% of small business owners work from their computers off-site rather than in the office.

Kellyanne Conway, CEO and president of the polling company, inc (which conducted the survey) said, “The evidence is strong that Web commuting represents a future where the workplace will be everywhere and the workforce, anyone. Employers should take heed, if they want to attract and retain talent, because Web commuting is a benefit people value highly.”

How does this survey affect marketers, though? Quite simply the survey indicates that focusing on in-office contacts is not the best way to go. For example, if a company's office supplies buyer works from home or the road the majority of the time, trying to catch him/her via phone at the main office is a waste of time. Instead, marketers may have better results by utilizing more email contacts rather than contacting by phone or with a direct mailing.