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Survey Show Web Sites and Biz Growth Go Hand in Hand
October 18, 2005
Small and
medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly harnessing the power of the
Internet and believe their Web sites positively impact sales, communication,
marketing and cost efficiency – among other things – according to the results of
a survey released today by 1&1 Internet, Inc., a popular Web Hosting and domain
registration company.
The survey,
which canvassed some 50,000 1&1 SMB customers in the United States, Germany and
the United Kingdom (the company’s main areas of operation), sough to learn
firsthand from SMBs the impact that having a Web site has had on their business,
particularly in the first 12 months after going online. The results were
analyzed by Prof. Dr. Edgar Einemann on Bremerhaven University of Applied
Sciences in Bremerhaven, Germany, in a detailed report called International
Comparison of the Economic Effects of Resulting from the Implementation of
Professional Webhosting Products.
Among Dr.
Einemann’s findings:
- Almost
all respondents (94.7 percent) said their web presence provides a positive
contribution to their company’s development
- Half
said less than 20 percent of their sales are generated through their Web
site; roughly a third said their site accounts for more than 20 percent of
sales
- More
than 20 percent who experienced sales changes in the past year attribute it
to having a Web presence
- More
than three quarters of the respondents said their Web site offers major
benefits in effective marketing, overall customer communication and reaching
and attracting new customers
- Almost
all respondents (85.9 percent) are convinced that they are implementing an
overall cost-effective new communication tool
- More
than two thirds said their web site cost less than $650 in the past year
“The
survey’s overall conclusion is that maintaining a Web presence has significant
positive economic benefits for SMBs,” said Dr. Einemann. “It is clearly an
example of the extent to which the Internet has penetrated the global economy,
and is particularly significant because it is based on a relatively large number
of respondents and an international comparison.”
“The
surprising aspect of the finds,” Einemann continued, “is the uniformity of the
results. There is no significant difference in the responses between Germany,
the UK and the US, and within these countries, hardly any differentiation
between the individual industry sectors or regions.”
1&1
conducted the survey by emailing its SMB customers and asking them to
voluntarily complete an anonymous online feedback form consisting of nine
questions. In the U.S., 1,217 respondents were delineated by business type and
geographic region.
Just as
with the combined survey results from the three countries, the survey responses
across business sectors and regions within the U.S. were very consistent.
Andreas
Gauger, 1&1’s Chairman of the Board, said the survey results were a clear sign
of the Web’s increasing accessibility and hoped more SMBs would be encouraged to
get online.
“The survey
findings indicate that, more than ever, the vast potential of the Internet is
definitely within reach for SMBs,” Gauger said. “These are businesses with
anywhere from two or three to 100 employees, and they’re reaping the rewards of
the Internet just as much as their larger corporate competitors. Clearly, you
don’t need a massive IT budget or advanced technical resources to have a
sophisticated and productive web presence. Those SMBs that still aren’t online
are truly missing out on taking their business to another level.”
Gauger said
a major reason SMBs are seeing more benefits from their Web sites is because
costs have gone down while value has increased and technology has become more
user friendly.
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/resources/market_research/article.php/3557241
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