Survey Says…

Sixty one percent of small business internet users have a business Web site, according to a new survey released by the National Small Business Poll (NSBP).  

The National  Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Education Foundation and Wells Fargo launched NSBP with the release of the survey “The Use and Value of Web Sites”. Its purpose was to examine the attitudes of small business owners towards technology. About 750 small business owners were surveyed. The results include the following:

• 57 percent of small employers use the internet, mainly to e-mail with customers and suppliers and to research business information.

• The most common reason given by small businesses for not having a Web Site is that their product or services do not lend themselves to sale on the internet.

• While most of the small business Web sites do not generate income directly, it was found they do stimulate customers to contact businesses by phone, fax or in person.

• One in three small business owners who have a Web site do not know how much they spend on the site, suggesting that the cost is negligible.

NSBP plans to release monthly surveys on a wide range of small business topics.