How are Small Business Websites Impacted Post-COVID?

How are Small Business Websites Impacted Post-COVID?

Interesting Small Business Website Stats Rolling into 2022

There is no argument that websites are important, usually crucial, to the success of a small business. As the Internet penetrated every aspect of our lives, the importance of an online presence for every type of business and every product or service type became evidenti.

  • Less than two-thirds (64%) of small businesses have a website.
  • 41% of businesses without websites say their business “does not need a website.”
  • 35% of small businesses feel their operation is too small to warrant a website.
  • Among small businesses without a website, 29% plan to build one in 2022.

The statement that any business “does not need a website” requires some self-examination by the small business owner and a little research. Because the Internet has become the primary source of information for people and customers, not having a presence on the Web, no matter what your business, can be damaging.

The fact is that most potential customers will want to check out a business online before making any substantial purchase of products or services. They, whether business owners like it or not, will often make comparisons between companies based on their online information. As an example, do a Web search with the word “compare” and any business type, product, or service.

Usually, these sites are linking out to websites for affiliate commissions or selling something alongside the article comparisons. However, this shows how popular this type of comparison by potential customers has become.

Many small local businesses rely on a Facebook business page for their online presence, but this falls short of differentiating them from their competitors. That Facebook business page will rarely show up in search results that are not searches conducted on Facebook. Your business, if only online through social media, disappears into the mass of users on the social sites.

More Statistics Related to How Small Businesses Use and Manage Websites

Statistics from other resources may differ by a few percentage points from those above, but the general trends are the sameii.

  • 28% of small businesses do not have a website, and of the 71% that say they do, many are finding it a challenge to build and maintain their sites to evolve along with customer expectations.
  • 46% of small businesses manage their websites with in-house employees.
  • 32% use a DIY site builder application to build out a simple website presence.
  • Entering 2022, 20% of small businesses planned to introduce embedded video into their business websites, and some are experimenting with Virtual Reality as well.
Female small business owner taking photos of her new clothing line for her online shopping web site.

The simple fact is that a standalone website is becoming more crucial to business growth, and possibly even survival, especially post-COVID. People are doing less in-person shopping and getting more and more of their business products and services information online than ever before.

Factors Involved in Small Business Website Decisions

For those businesses that consider their Web presence to be symbolic and not a business generator, it is usually due to poor website design, content, and lead generation practices. For others, especially those with no website, only social media presence, or a DIY site that is not contributing to their business growth, consider these factors:

  • If your site is on a third-party DIY provider’s server, you do not control your “piece of the Web.” Your presence is dependent upon their continued survival and practices.
  • Using social site business pages or many DIY site-builder apps, your ability to customize and build out an effective business-building presence is limited.
  • Expensive website design services are not necessary for most business sites. Hiring freelancers, especially those with WordPress experience can result in a website valuable to the business at low cost. Hosting it is inexpensive, giving you control of your online presence and content.
Young african male programmer writing program code sitting at the workplace with three monitors in the office. Image focused on the screen

Multiple extensive studies bear out the growing importance of a small business website to the survival and growth of the business. Post-COVID, the importance is escalating. More people than ever are shopping from home and on mobile devices.

i 255 Revealing 2022 Small Business Website Statistics - PixoLabo.com

ii Small business website statistics, PRNewswire.com

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