According to the latest data from MYOB Business Monitor, only 34% of New Zealand businesses have a website and only a fifth of businesses sell products online.
In this TVNZ report, MYOB general manager Julian Smith told TVNZ that the results of the survey are both surprising and disappointing with the majority of Kiwi businesses missing the opportunities presented by the internet.
Despite the explosion in use of the internet and the rapid development of the online economy, Kiwi businesses are little more than scraping the surface of what will be the most important piece of business technology in this half of the new century.
Smith says even the local fish and chip shop does need a website as the key factor for any business owner is being found.
The way we shop today is very much just popping on to Google and tapping in a quick search. It’s really key for a business to think how they might use the internet to support them.
MYOB says a business can just use a directory listing online but the evidence shows that a good online presence is a strong driver of business growth.
According to the survey, 44% of businesses with a website have more sales or orders in the pipeline, compared to just 30% of businesses that don’t operate online.
New Zealand has also been slow to adopt more sophisticated online tools and trends, with only 14% of businesses using social media to support business aims.
The survey, however, showed a marked generation gap in the use of social media, with 22% of business owners under 40 using social media tools to promote their business, compared to 11% of those in the over-40 age range.
The survey also provided an insight into how Kiwi businesses are actually using the internet:
- 12% writing blogs or online newsletters to promote their business,
- 14% using social media,
- 22% advertising online,
- 29% monitoring competitors online,
- 35% conducting online research and monitoring industry trends.
Smith says Kiwi businesses who are just starting to think about a website need to put it on their priority list.
Read the full story and watch the video at TVNZ.
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