Small firms cut corners with web presence

A worrying number of small businesses neglect their online presence, new research suggests.

A leading UK provider of value web hosting, Streamline.net research indicates that web investment among small businesses is modest.

Of the 2,400 firms surveyed, only 10% said they update their websites on a daily basis, and one third admitted that updates are done infrequently.

Another survey of 400 firms, the latest Small Business Bytes Survey finds that over half of small firms now build and maintain their website themselves rather than using a designer. However, many with a website admitted that they struggle to maintain a compelling web presence.

The survey found that online marketing is neglected among small businesses. A staggering 48% are not currently advertising on search engines. Furthermore, 34% are unable to measure the popularity of their website because they do not look at their visitor numbers.

Claire Lewis, Marketing Manager at Streamline.net, said that small businesses should ensure they invest quality time and energy into presenting the right image and engaging with their website visitors:

“Important elements like Search Engine submission and website measurement can transform the return from a website. There are now easy-to-use and affordable tools for achieving these to suit all budgets, so every company should check they have these bases covered.”