Entrepreneur.com has listed a must-read, their top-10 trends of 2011. These are the forces that may define opportunity as we begin the new year. From the article:

Nearly half of all Americans are now members of at least one social network and spending more money while they’re at it, double from just two years ago. Research shows that social media users spend, on average, one and a half times more time online than the typical web surfer. In fact, heavy Facebook users spent an average of $67 online during the first quarter of the year–compared with less than $50 for the general netizen, according to recent comScore research.

E-commerce has gone social. Gone are the days of one-way, private online shopping.

The first to really socialize were online flash sale sites, where steep discounts are offered to members for a limited time. Sites like Gilt Groupe, HauteLook, Rue La La and DailyCandy’s Swirl mimic designer sample sales, offering luxury fashion for a fraction of the price. These sites rely heavily on online conversations to drive sales. Smartly so, because a recent MediaPost study revealed that 59 percent of consumers rated “personal advice from friends” as the most influential source of information for their purchase decisions, and 51 percent of Twitter users reported they follow companies, brands or products on social networks.

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via Entrepreneur.com