Most Irish SMEs (73pc) that lack a website worry they are losing potential business and are aware their competitors are already online, a new survey suggests. More than half of those SMEs said the reason they don’t have a website is because they lack the time, funds or knowledge to get one up and running.
The survey conducted by domain name registrar Register365 also reveals that many small businesses assume it will be too expensive to create a website. Sixty-one per cent are unaware it can cost fewer than €100 a year to build and host their own website.
Of those SMEs who do have a website, 89pc indicated that they spend no more than 10 hours a week looking after their site, and most maintain it themselves. Only 19pc outsource that job to a professional.
“It’s clear from the results that SMEs need help taking their businesses online. In the difficult economic climate we’re in, businesses need to look at their online profile to gain competitive advantage wherever they can, ensuring they have a website to reflect their business offering,” said Stephen Ewart, marketing manager of Register365.
“The challenge is to get businesses to see that they are able to build a website themselves and can maintain it, with minimal input.”
Register365 has launched SiteMaker HTML5, a new website builder to help Irish businesses get online.
