Consumers are reluctant to use a business website that does not process orders online, new research has claimed.
In its new ‘Shine a Light’ report, O2 Business found that small businesses in the UK are falling behind when it comes to technology adoption, even though consumers are doing just the opposite. Furthermore, this lack of adoption could be costing businesses in the region of £13 billion every year, freshbusinessthinking.com reports.
It discovered that a quarter of consumers simply wouldn’t use a business if they found it didn’t have a website. In addition, businesses which already have a site cannot simply rest on their laurels, as it also discovered that 30 per cent of consumers expect a website to be “transactional” and allow them to make purchases online, through online payment processing tools.
Having such a site was also perceived to make the business better at customer services, with 46 per cent of consumers feeling that firms with a good online presence are more customer focused.
Speaking to techradar.com of the results, a spokesperson from O2 Business explained: “We believe that the biggest barriers for small businesses when they’re considering entering the digital world are the perceived cost and complexity.
“There is also a common misconception that customers aren’t interested in using digital services. However, our research shows that these services are increasingly considered by customers when deciding where to spend their money.”
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