Many small businesses have still not made much progress in the digital space, according to a recent State of the Nation report.
Focusing on small business digital engagement in Australia, the research indicates that a whopping 86 per cent of Australian small businesses are not digitally engaged.
Digital disruption is rife in every industry and business, which is why all businesses should be taking effective measures if they want to survive and grow in today’s increasingly digital world, says Dinesh De Silva, CEO and founder of tech start-up NetStripes.
“It’s a priority for small businesses to grow and succeed online through the aid of best and credible practices for digital marketing,” he explains.
“However, according to the investigation, it appears that most small businesses are not fully utilising digital marketing strategies to leverage their growth potential.”
Today’s consumers are much more sophisticated when researching a brand online. It’s estimated that the average online consumer takes between 2 to 4 seconds to decide whether they trust a website enough to make a purchase, yet 84 per cent failed to meet the minimum requirements of successful website functionality and engagement.
In addition, 42 per cent of small businesses failed to clearly display their services to web visitors. Also, up to 60 per cent of websites did not pass the speed test, while a further 87 per cent do not have sufficient content to engage with customers.
The statistics are made even more astonishing by the fact that only 45 per cent of businesses were found to have mobile optimised websites, this is a significant issue in this era of sophisticated consumers continually connected to their smart devices.
De Silva believes small businesses can change their status quo and innovate and grow their businesses using digital strategies to create transformation and success for themselves.
“When small business owners are empowered with the right knowledge, strategies and tools of innovation they start operating at a different level, with an increased sense of confidence and create highly successful businesses.
“With over 2.3 million small businesses in Australia, making just 15 to 16 per cent of these businesses achieve digital engagement has the potential to generate billions of dollars in economic growth and significantly reduce unemployment in the country.”
