I listen to CBS Newsradio 880 in the morning, and I usually catch the Small Business Report when it airs. One morning I heard an interview with Google VP and former congresswoman Susan Molinari with some stats that really struck me. She stated the 97% of people look online before the shop. 97%!! Yet 53% of NYC businesses have NO web presence; that’s slightly better than the national average of 60% of business without a web presence, but still quite a disparity between those looking for products and services and those selling them. Molinari stated that if you put two businesses side by side, selling the same product(s), the business with a website will be twice as successful, hiring twice the number of workers and making twice the money.
The numbers in this article by WebVisible are slightly lower, but they are still startling.
“Though 63% of consumers and small business owners turn to the internet first for information about local companies and 82% use search engines to do so, only 44% of small businesses have a website and half spend less than 10% of their marketing budget online, according to research from Webvisible and Nielsen.…This disparity, according to Webvisible, clearly illustrates the reasons why consumers have difficulty finding small business information. Many consumers report that they have struggled to recall the name of a business in their area or wish to quickly check the website for store hours, directions or a phone number, Webvisible said. However, when using a search engine to find a business they know exists, only 19% of survey respondents report never or rarely encountering trouble locating that business online and 39% say they routinely have difficulty.”
With so many people now using smart phones, meaning they can search on the go, not having your company represented online is like actively turning business away. It’s not necessary to spend thousands on a website, either; a simple one page site with basic information and a contact number can be inexpensive and will pay for itself in increased sales.
If this entry has you thinking about creating a web presence for your business, or upgrading your current efforts, contact me @ Canzani Graphics and I’ll give you a free one hour consultation.
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