Online isn't just for the big boys anymore. Today, online tools and social media help small businesses effectively build an online presence with limited resources. We explore how small businesses manage their brands online.
The infographic provides an insightful look into how small businesses are building and utilizing their online presence, focusing on websites, social media, and the effectiveness of these tools.
Web Presence:
- As of Spring 2011, 65% of small businesses had a website. However, many don’t regularly update it.
- Frequency of Updating Website:
- Weekly: 19%
- 2-3 times a month: 10%
- Monthly: 13%
- Every 2-3 months: 14%
- Every 4-9 months: 15%
- Annually: 16%
- Less than annually: 10%
- No response: 3%
Website Satisfaction:
- 54% are happy with their current website.
- 31% are unhappy.
- 15% don’t have a website.
Social Media Adoption:
- There's been an increase in small businesses using social media to grow their business, from 39% in Fall 2010 to 44% in Spring 2011.
- Top reasons for using social media include attracting new customers, promoting the company brand, communicating company news, and keeping in touch with existing customers.
E-Commerce and Analytics:
- Only 24% accept payments on their website.
- 65% don’t accept payments.
- 21% use tools to monitor website traffic.
- 63% don’t have tools for traffic monitoring.
Tools of the Trade:
- Facebook is the most popular social media tool, used by 35% of small businesses.
- Other tools include LinkedIn (15%), Twitter (10%), Blogs (8%), YouTube (8%), MySpace (6%), Foursquare (2%), and other platforms (5%).
Effectiveness of Social Media:
- 9% found social media exceeded expectations.
- 45% said it met expectations.
- 36% felt it fell short of expectations.
- 66% of small businesses using Facebook update or interact with the site at least weekly.
In summary, while a majority of small businesses have established an online presence, many are not fully utilizing their websites and social media platforms. The trend towards social media usage is growing, with Facebook being the most popular tool. The effectiveness of these platforms varies, with a significant portion of businesses reporting that social media meets or exceeds their expectations for growth and customer engagement.
