WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the increasing popularity of e-commerce, a significant number of small businesses are only creating a website for the first time in 2020. Nearly one-third of small businesses (29%) say they plan to start using a website this year, according to new survey data from Visual Objects, a portfolio website.

Another 60% say they plan to more heavily rely on their website as a marketing channel for their business in the next year.

Website can increase the visibility and credibility of a business to potential customers searching for relevant products and services onlines.

"Your website should be your number one salesperson, 365 days a year, 24/7," said Lauren Williams, founder of Harmony HR Experts.

"Everyone buys things on the internet all the time," said Williams. "Even if your business is providing a service, you must have a way to sell it on the internet."

29% of Small Businesses Say Their Website Needs Improvement

Like any other tool, businesses should be revisiting and constantly optimizing their website for present-day use.

Another 29% of small businesses say their website needs improvement in 2020.

Website improvements include:

• Increased page speed
• More detailed search engine optimization (SEO)
• Clearer call-to-actions
• Better mobile design

Page speed is increasingly important.

"Make sure your website is FAST - especially on mobile," said Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital. "Mobile speed will not only impact the experience that people have with your site but it also influences social media posts and your rankings in search engines."

33% of Small Businesses Say Websites Help Them Achieve Their Goals

One in three small businesses (33%) say their website is the marketing channel to which they most attribute their success, coming second to only social media (37%).

This suggests websites can give small businesses a boost in achieving their goals if done correctly.

Ronii Bartles, Operations and Marketing Consultant at Ronii Bartles Consulting, advises businesses to be selective about what they put on their website.

"I find that small business owners want to share everything on their website and asking the website visitor to 'buy now,' 'contact me,' 'download this thing' is too overwhelming," Bartles said.

"When someone first lands on the home page, what is the one thing you want them to do?" Bartles said. "Then take away all the other stuff."

By having one clear call to action, small businesses can get more out of their website.

Small Businesses Will Pay More Attention to Their Websites in 2020

Websites can help small businesses stand out among competitors and expand their customer base.

More small businesses plan to invest time and resources in 2020 into making sure their website is a tool that can help them succeed.

Visual Objects surveyed 500 small business owners and marketers.

Read the full survey report: https://visualobjects.com/digital-marketing/small-business-statistics-2020

For questions about the survey or a comment on the findings, contact Toby Cox at [email protected].

About Visual Objects

Visual Objects is a portfolio website that showcases work from top creative firms from around the world. Use Visual Objects to visualize a firm's projects, which helps you find the right design partner for your business. You wouldn't want to make a hiring decision without seeing a company's quality of work – Visual Objects compiles this work on one easy-to-use site.

Contact

Toby Cox
[email protected]
202-905-0610

SOURCE Visual Objects