We live in the digital world nowadays which means that to succeed in business you need a website.
What percentage of small businesses have a website?
The following article may surprise you with the information we have gathered for our readers.
Whether you have an existing small business or you’re starting one up or thinking about it, you need a website.
There’s no way around that fact in this digital age.
Your website is a representation of your brand, which can bring brand awareness to your target audience.
Your business website also showcases all your products, services, sales, promotions, discounts, etc.
Your personality shines through when your small business website is done right.
Let’s discuss the percentage of small businesses with websites and the benefits and challenges of having a website.
Key Statistics
- 71% of businesses have their own website according to recent data.
- 29% of small businesses have no website.
- 28% of all business is done online.
- On average, it costs between $1,000 and $10,000 to build a small business website.
- The internet has about 1.13 billion websites as of 2023.
- 43% of small businesses planned to enhance website performance and page speed.
- In the United States, retail sales accounted for 15.1% of all ecommerce sales in the country.
- 46% of small businesses use in-house employees to manage their site.
- 35% oif small businesses think they’re too small to need a website.
- 21% of small business owners feel that traffic is their biggest website challenge.
What Percentage of Small Businesses Have a Website in 2023?
1. 71% of Businesses Have Their Own Website According to Recent Data.
The most recent data we could find came from Forbes Advisor that reveals 71% of businesses do have their own website, which is an increase over pre-pandemic figures.
Since the world was turned upside down leading to the use of a digitized workplace, the importance of having a website as an online presence was brought to the forefront of small businesses.
This goes beyond being a “trend” or a “fad” so we will continue to see new business websites for years to come.
(Forbes Advisor)
2. 29% of Small Businesses Have No Website.
We know that 71% of businesses do have websites, so that leaves 29% that don’t.
In today’s society, 29% represents too many businesses that aren’t taking advantage of what a website can do for their business.
We will discuss that in the FAQ section later.
(Zippia)
3. 28% of All Business Is Done Online.
In the most recent data, it was revealed that 28% of all business activities are performed online.
It’s become easy and convenient to buy, sell, communicate, meet, and handle all things business online.
That’s today’s business realm regardless of the size of your company.
(Forbes Advisor)
4. on Average, It Costs Between $1,000 and $10,000 to Build a Small Business Website.
Some small business owners are tech savvy and can save money on building a website, but overall, the average cost for building a small business website ranged from $1,000 to $10,000.
According to the statistics, 66% of small businesses don’t spend $10,000 to design, build, and launch their sites.
They can spend significantly less.
(Zippia)
5. The Internet Has About 1.13 Billion Websites as Of 2023.
There are a whopping 1.13 billion websites on the web from across the globe.
However, only a smidgen of them are active or even updated regularly. In fact, 82% of all 1.13 billion sites are not active.
That represents the fact that out of the 1.13 billion websites on the internet, only 200,121,724 are active, regularly updated, and maintained.
(Forbes Advisor)
6. 43% of Small Businesses Planned to Enhance Website Performance and Page Speed.
In 2021, 43% of small businesses were planning to enhance website performance and page speed.
So, almost half of small businesses seem to understand the importance of maintaining and updating their website’s performance and page speed.
(PR Newswire)
7. In The United States, Retail Sales Accounted for 15.1% of All Ecommerce Sales in The Country.
During the first quarter of 2023, retail sales in the U.S. accounted for 15.1% of the nation’s ecommerce sales.
Between January 2023 and March 2023, retail sales in the ecommerce sector accounted for $273 billion (USD), which is the highest quarterly revenue generated in history.
(Statista)
8. 46% of Small Businesses Use In-House Employees to Manage Their Site.
In terms of how small businesses manage their websites, 46% said that they have an in-house employee or team according to one survey.
Another 32% said they use website builders online to create basic sites.
This reveals how easy it is to have a website for your business regardless of your resources.
(PR Newswire)
9. 35% of Small Businesses Think They’re Too Small to Need a Website.
We have expressed that no business is too small to need a website.
Size isn’t a metric by which you should decide whether to have a website or not.
Even freelancers and contractors who are the online person working their business have websites.
That said, data shows that 35% of small businesses think they are too small to require an online presence.
For the record, your business isn’t too small to have a website.
(Gitnux Blog)
10. 21% of Small Business Owners Feel that Traffic Is Their Biggest Website Challenge.
In a 2021 survey, it was found that 21% of small business owners felt that low traffic was their worst challenge for their website.
If this is you, it may be that you need to boost and improve your marketing strategy.
It’s wise to examine and make changes to your marketing strategy every few months. The same is true for your website.
(PR Newswire)
11. 98% of Modern Consumers Look to The Internet to Find Where Local Businesses Are.
A massive 98% of today’s consumers search the internet to find out where local businesses are as of 2022.
In 2019, this figure was 90% which shows a significant increase in how people use the internet.
This is another reason to have a website for your local small business.
(BrightLocal)
12. 47% of Internet Users Will Move on Within 2 Seconds if The Website Hasn’t Loaded.
Almost half of internet users won’t wait for your site to load if it takes longer than 2 seconds.
The fact is that 47% of online users aren’t going to be patient enough to wait for your slow website to load.
This is a good reason to consistently update and monitor your small business website before you lose visitors or even customers.
We live in a society of instant gratification.
(forbes Advisor)
13. Websites that Load Slowing Can Cost Business $2.6 Billion per Year.
Every second that you waste not improving your website load speed can cost you $2.6 billion per year.
We already know that 47% of online users won’t even wait for 2 seconds for a page to load.
Moreover, 40% of internet users will leave the website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
(WebFX)
14. On Average Users Will Spend Around 54 Seconds on A Single Web Page.
You need to know that 54 seconds is the average amount of time a visitor will stay on a single page of your website.
What does that mean? It means that to engage and keep visitors on your site or a specific page, your content needs to be engaging and appealing to them.
It should take some time to learn to improve your site design, content, images, and layout for visitors.
(Forbes Advisor)
15. 94% of First Impressions Made on Your Website Are Related to Its Design.
First impressions aren’t just important for face-to-face interactions (online or offline).
Your small business website design accounts for 94% of first impressions.
Visitors expect to be engaged and impressed by a website.
Moreover, 75% of a website’s credibility comes from its design.
With all the scams on websites these days, users want to know they are looking at a real and trustworthy website.
(WebFX)
16. 74% of Online Users Are More Apt to Go Back to A Website that Is Mobile-Friendly.
We’ve tried to stress the importance of optimizing your small business website for mobile devices.
Now, we will explain why.
Since 74% of online consumers are more apt to return to a site that is mobile-friendly, you need to ensure your small business site is optimized for that 74%.
(WebFX)
FAQs
Do You Really Need a Website for Your Small Business?
The short answer is yes, but we’ll elaborate. A business website gives you credibility and makes you look professional, which instills trust.
People are prone to not trusting a business that has no website nowadays.
Moreover, you can get more exposure and conversions when you have a site. It doesn’t require much time or money if you create it yourself.
Even if you hire someone, it’s well worth the cost and it’s probably not as expensive as you think.
Finally, a business website is the cornerstone of all your marketing efforts. Your website drives virtually everything you do online.
Therefore, you do need an online presence.
What Benefits Come with Having a Small Business Website?
The benefits are plentiful, so we will try to keep this answer short, sweet, but informative.
This information goes hand-in-hand with why you need a small business website, so we won’t repeat a lot of information here, but some is worth repeating.
1. It builds trust and credibility.
2. It’s the best way to build your business and scale as you grow.
3. It enhances your business with an online presence 24/7.
4. It makes it easier and more efficient to market your business.
5. It represents you as an authority in your industry and boosts your reputation.
6. It showcases your services or products and improves brand awareness.
These are just a few of the benefits you can enjoy from having your own small business website.
What Should You Put on Your Small Business Website?
The home page is a given for a small business website, but what else do you need?
We will cover the essential elements of what you need for your small business site.
1. An about page is essential and it’s where you tell your story and give visitors some background information.
2. A contact page is vital to let visitors, customers, and potential customers contact you in whatever methods you choose. This can include a phone number to call, text, or even fax, an email for communications, social media messaging options, and/or chat to name a few solutions.
3. A product/service page that tells the visitor about your products and/or services and can be used to showcase flagship or new items.
4. A menu page that makes it easy to navigate your website and guides visitors.
5. An ecommerce store page where visitors can make purchases.
6. A blog page where you place relevant articles about the industry and what’s happening in your business.
7. A FAQ page to answer the most asked questions about your policies, shipping, and other pertinent information.
8. A testimonial/review page that allows customers to provide feedback for users to see and for you to make improvements as needed.
9. A portfolio or gallery page to showcase employees, your industry background and experience, and some work you have performed.
10. An appointments page where customers can make appointments on an online calendar.
The top 5 on this list are absolute necessities, especially if you have items to sell. The last 5 will help you get more exposure if you use them right.
Also, not all small business websites need an appointment page unless it’s for the services you offer.
What Are Some Necessary Things to Do to Maintain Efficiency for Your Small Business Website?
To remain relevant and effective online, your website must be updated regularly, optimized for search engines regularly, have high-quality images and videos, be optimized for mobile devices, and you need to monitor and track your website to analyze what you need to do to make it more effective.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of why it’s important for your small business to have a website.
The size of your small business doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Be sure to use the tips we shared so you can benefit the most from your small business website.
Do your homework and learn everything you can about how to build, design, use fonts and images, and how to make sure you website is properly optimized for all devices and performance and page load speed.
Hopefully, we have answered the question about what percentage of small businesses have a website and other information relevant to you.
We hope you have found this informative and helpful.