Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being warned they could be losing out on thousands of pounds in extra revenue by not optimising their websites for mobile use.
A survey by hibu – a company that provides digital marketing solutions – found just one in ten companies are taking advantage of the growing trend of consumers utilising their mobile devices to surf the web.
Researchers spoke to 900 SME owners and IT managers as part of their study and discovered 45 per cent of firms do not even have a website to promote their goods or services, while a further 45 per cent did not have a page optimised for mobile viewing.
The news is in contrast to another finding, which revealed that those businesses without an internet presence whatsoever believed their annual revenue could increase by 5.4 per cent if the ability for customers to complete a transaction via a smartphone or tablet was incorporated into their company.
This equates to an average of more than £11,000 extra annual turnover per firm. Meanwhile, companies that did have a website – but one that wasn’t optimised for mobile – expected their annual turnover to jump up by 3.5 per cent if they made the leap, the equivalent of nearly £24,000 on average.
Hibu’s chief digital officer Matt Anderson said: “Local businesses need a site that renders well on phones and tablets, or they are missing out on dramatic growth because ‘on-the-go’ people around them can’t see their website well.”
Mr Anderson added that having an online presence on its own “really isn’t enough any more”, while many SME owners felt “intimidated” when it came to taking the first steps in optimising their sites.
Are you considering developing your own website soon? If not, what’s stopping you?
Posted by the Secret Businessman