While 43 per cent of Canada's one million small businesses use the Internet to learn more about a company they want to work with, almost half (48 per cent) don't have a website of their own, according to a survey by Harris-Decima for Microsoft Canada.
Lack of time was cited as the No. 1 reason for not having a website, with almost one-quarter of respondents saying they don't have the time to create one. One in five respondents feel it would be too difficult to create on their own. As well, one in six respondents point to the cost of maintaining a website as an inhibitor to growing their business online.
"In today's competitive small business world, having a professional web presence is just as important as having a phone number," says Evan Carmichael, small business Internet technology consultant.
Canadian small business owners feel a website is important for a variety of reasons:
* The majority of survey respondents indicate that a website is important to make them appear professional (91 per cent), and to attract customers (82 per cent);
* Almost two-thirds also feel a website is critical in order to be competitive;
* More than half feel they would use the web to assist with customer retention.
"The survey reveals that many small businesses have been unable to take full advantage of online marketing due to a variety of reasons. Among those who already have a website, 60 per cent of respondents report they are concerned about enhancing their site and keeping content fresh and almost 40 per cent feel they simply don't have the time or expertise to update the site themselves," says Jason Brommet, senior product manager for Microsoft Office. |
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