83.5 % of small business owners see the value of having a website
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Recent data published by Forbes Advisor revealed some eye-opening statistics surrounding small businesses and websites. 78% of small business owners in the UK currently have a website of sorts for their enterprise. Of these businesses, nearly 84% stated that having a website played a “big part” in their success. Only 14.6% said it didn’t play a big part and 1.5% believe it is virtually never used.
It’s an alarming statistic that shines a light on the value of having a proper business website. When a small business has a website, they’re almost always more successful and believe it plays a huge role in producing that success. The most incredible data point from this survey is the first one – only 78% of small businesses have a website in the UK. At first glance, that looks like a huge figure, but it should be a lot higher than that.
Given that the UK is the third-largest eCommerce sector in the world with over 54 million people using online shopping, small businesses should see a website as a given. It’s remarkable that some companies still live in the past – and they’re the ones that will miss out. Business websites will be increasingly more valuable as the digitisation of consumerism continues to take hold and shape our world.
Websites are much more than shopping portals
The 22% of small businesses without a website – and the 14.6% who don’t believe their website plays a big part in success – are likely viewing the benefits of these platforms in the wrong vein. The immediate assumption is for a website to become a shopping portal. Indeed, plenty of the 83.5% of small businesses admitting their sites play a big part in their business could generate revenue through online orders.
Nevertheless, websites are more than this. You don’t need to sell products online to reap the benefits of an online platform. It can yield more advantages, giving SMEs a chance to get ahead of the competition:
- Build brand awareness and trust – Websites are the online faces of a business. They help consumers become aware of the brand and recognise its existence. Similarly, quality web design builds trust with the brand by making it look more professional and impressive. Not having a website means small businesses miss out on opportunities to build trust or be seen by consumers.
- Drive local foot traffic – A website can be used to drive local foot traffic straight to a small business. This is critical for small companies that rely on people visiting them and spending money. Too many small business owners assume they won’t benefit from a website if they don’t sell things online, but that’s completely false as it helps more people find and locate the enterprise!
While attitudes towards business websites have changed over the years, it’s still strange to see so many small companies reject them. That figure of 78% needs to be closer to 100% – in fact, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be at 100% already. It’s 2024; if a company doesn’t have a website, it’s being held back. Close to 84% of small businesses see the value of having one, so we’re interested to see if this figure rises within the next twelve months.
