Over half of shoppers will not buy from a business that does not have a web site, according to a new poll.
Research from 1&1 Internet shows that 53% of consumers will walk away from a company that has no presence on the web, and a striking 85% have strong doubts and reservations about buying from a business with a poor-quality web site.
The survey revealed, however, confusion among businesses over the need for a strong web presence despite last year’s strong growth in online sales.
A fifth of firms said they do not believe that a poor web site could have a negative effect on their sales, while the same number also said admitted they do not recognize the importance shoppers place on having a web presence.
“It is clear that consumers nowadays expect every business to have a professional web presence and are turned-off by second-rate websites, yet clearly many SMEs are confused over the importance of the issue,” said Andreas Gauger, chief executive officer of 1&1 Internet.
Companies without a web site told researchers that their main reasons for lacking an online presence were their fears of cost and maintenance.
