1 in 3 Small Businesses Stressed By Online Visibility

1 in 3 By

(The Hosting News) – Prominence on Internet Search Engines is a significant stress and concern for one third of UK , according to research released today by Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading web hosting provider.  The study of 467 firms(1) also finds that a large number have not addressed these concerns by attempting to improve their rankings.  Furthermore, 27% of firms with a website admit that they have never used methods to interact directly with customers, and only 23% of participate in social networking.  Data from 1000 UK consumers(2) shows that 38% of Britons regularly look for social networking material from . Whilst 1 in 3 consumers now expects to read responses from companies to negative reviews posted , only 14% of firms are providing these.  Both studies show that all types of UK business can benefit from efforts to improve their , branding and communication.

Fasthosts ‘Business Connectivity Audit’ reveals that is a key stress factor for 34% of UK firms, both in terms of attracting consumers and suppliers or partners.  1 in 5 suspects that it may be held back by an under-investment in marketing this seasonal trading period, more than those who have under-purchased stock, or under-invested in their premises.  Despite widespread concern, few companies are properly tackling the issue, with 41% having never attempted to optimize their position in search engines.

Cost is a key deterrent for many when considering their search engine positions.  1 in 4 firms believe that paying to optimize their positions would be too costly.  Some 35% of have paid to optimize their in the past but were not properly aware of the total costs at the time.  11% are deterred by past failed attempts to optimize their .  Furthermore, the majority of admit they currently fail to understand their ‘virtual footfall’.  Only 28% of companies believe that they understand their number of website visitors effectively.

Steve Holford, Marketing Director, Fasthosts Internet Ltd., said “For many firms, battling for can be a real stress and seem too daunting a challenge to take on.  However, every business owner should know that there are now low-cost, point-and-click solutions for both improving search engine positions and understanding how their website is being used”.

It appears that communication is still a problem for many UK . Even basic website features, such as an email contact form, are still absent from 41% of SME websites.  Only 6% of firms use live-chat to communicate with customers visiting their website.  Despite the huge popularity of social networks with Britons, only 23% of firms are publishing social networking material.  The figure is lower for real-time activities such as Twitter (15%), and multi-media or video channels such as YouTube (7%).

This is in direct contrast with data from 1000 British consumers, which finds that consumers now expect a package of participation – through web presence, dialogue, and social networking.  38% of Britons now actively look for social media material from companies when making purchases, and 55% appreciate multi-media material such as video clips.  Consumers today are now sensitive to branding.  60% would like companies to show consistent branding across everything they present including social networks.

Significantly, 1 in 3 consumers now expect to read responses from companies to negative material about them posted .  Such material can often be published on review websites, news and industry websites and consumer forums.  Alarmingly, the study reveals that only 14% of are currently responding to such material.  Encouragingly, only 1 in 5 consumers report that negative material alone would lead them to avoid a retailer altogether.  The data suggests that consumers expect to engage with what is written about them , and all firms can benefit from managing their reputation.

Holford added, “Research shows that consumers now expect to analyse reviews and branded multi-media material as part of their purchasing decisions.  Every business can gain from demonstrating a commitment to their audience through interacting , and presenting their activities proactively on popular social media channels”.

Today, there are web-based tools available which any business can use to improve their position within search engines. For example, Fasthosts TrafficDriver SEO, available from only £24 per year+VAT, will submit a business website to hundreds of search engines worldwide and guarantee a Google listing. TrafficDriver also generates detailed monthly reports that can provide excellent insights when defining an marketing strategy.

As a leading web hosting provider, and Technology Sponsor of The Great Exhibition 2012, Fasthosts offers a comprehensive range of web solutions including domain name registrations, email solutions (including mobile email services), shared web hosting, virtual servers, dedicated servers, secure storage, payment services, reseller web hosting and feature-rich broadband packages.  Fasthosts is well placed to deliver a high quality service.  All data is hosted in Fasthosts’ state-of-the-art UK based data centre.

Full details can be found at http://www.fasthosts.co.uk

About Fasthosts

Fasthosts is a leading web hosting provider. Based in the UK and operating 24×7 from their dedicated UK data centres, Fasthosts keeps over 1 million domains running smoothly and ensures over 42 million emails are delivered safely each day. All Fasthosts services can be self-managed through the award winning Fasthosts web-based control panel that provides customers with unparalleled control, enabling them to manage hosted services including domain registrations, shared web hosting, business-class email, virtual servers, dedicated servers, software-as-a-service, internet merchant accounts and unlimited broadband. Fasthosts’ maintains an award-winning, highly successful reseller channel.

Source: 1 in 3 By

Download this or Read Full Story go to Source
THN News
Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google

Related Posts

Tags: , , , ,

Leave a Reply