New Telstra research shows small businesses with a website have much to gain this festive season, with eight in 10 Aussies saying a business website is most likely to influence their decision to hire a service business when getting their home ready for Christmas.
Research involving 1500 households* shows almost half of those (43 per cent) looking for service businesses are going online to find one that meets their needs versus more traditional referrals.
It also revealed seven in 10 households plan to spend up to $200 on tasks, with two in 10 planning to spend up to $500 on tasks including cleaning (90 per cent), gardening (70 per cent), lawn mowing (70 per cent), repair jobs (43 per cent) and house painting (16 per cent) over the next few weeks.
Telstra Executive Director of Small Business, Brendan Donohoe, said a website could help small businesses avoid flying under the radar during the peak shopping period, as time-poor consumers focus their attention on digital channels.
“When we think of shopping for Christmas and the holidays, we tend to think of people buying goods rather than paying for services. However, our research shows there is strong demand from households for services at this time of year, with almost half now going online to find them.
“What that means is, if you’re the owner of a service business without a website, you could potentially be missing out on new customers, new revenue streams and having technology improve your efficiency,” Donohoe said.
Of Australia’s two million actively-trading businesses, only half have a website according to research from the ABS and Telstra**, highlighting a divide between the online presence of small businesses and the buying behaviours of consumers.
While some business owners regard a website as an unnecessary cost (51 per cent), too difficult to set up or are unsure where to start (19 per cent)***, Sam Nicolopoulos, owner of SLN Painting, recently created a website with Telstra. He said that the process was quick and easy, and that he is already seeing benefits.
“My site’s been live for a few weeks now and already I’ve had a decent number of people visit and enquire. Business is very good at the moment – everyone wants their house painted before Christmas and now that I’m online, people can more easily find me for the job,” he said.
With nearly half (47 per cent) of people spending time searching for a service provider from a mobile device, Donohoe said it was also important for websites to be mobile optimised.
“Increasing numbers of people are searching for small businesses not just from home or the office, but on the go as well, so it’s important to offer customers the chance to find and interact with your business when, where and how they choose.
“A fresh, informative and mobile friendly website can help do a lot of the hard work finding new customers – and it takes a lot less time, energy and money to get online than you think,” Donohoe said.
Telstra Online Essentials helps small-business owners create a custom-built website in a matter of days, with expert design, copywriting, hosting and SEO support. For a no-obligation one-month free trial, visit telstra.com/onlineessentials.
