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SMEs embrace internet to generate sales

Published On 20 March 2007 at 09:05:46

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly realising the opportunities offered by offering online services, according to a new government report.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has published data which shows that the number of SMEs who have their own website increased from 54 per cent to 66 per cent between 2002 and 2006.

Similarly, the figures show that 15 per cent of SMEs offered goods or services for sale over the internet in 2005 - compared to just seven per cent three years previously.

However, the figures also reveal that SMEs lag behind their larger competitors in terms of internet use. By 2005, 98 per cent of companies with 1,000 or more employees had their own website.

Widespread use of fast broadband internet connections is cited as one of the main reasons SMEs have been able to begin to utilise the internet to generate sales. Between 2002 and 2005, the number of small companies with broadband connections increased from 25 per cent to 75 per cent.

Overall, the ONS statistics show that revenue generated from internet sales is increasingly rapidly. In 2004, internet sales were worth £66 billion in the UK, but by 2005 this had risen to £103 billion.

 

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