Almost one in five pounds pulled in by UK business came through an online sale, the Office of National Statistics has found. Nineteen per cent of UK sales revenues came through ecommerce, states the ONS's report on E-commerce and ICT activity in 2011. That means that e-sales pulled in £483 billion to the British economy in …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections

This topic is closed for new posts.

Monday 3rd December 2012 10:18 GMT Khaptain

Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website

Strange. I never really saw the need for my Butcher, Baker, Newspaper shop, Local Bar or the Cheese shop to have any need whatsoever for a Website. They seem to be doing pretty well, they provide good products, the villagers use them on a daily basis and you are always made to feel welcome.

"Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website" .. maybe they simply don't need them, see them as an unneccasary expense. Not every one has the intention of becoming the next Branson, Walmart or SuperConglomerate......

I hate these kinds of articles, they sound more like "Why aren't all the sheep eating from the same trough"....

"How dare someone take another approach than the one that we have designed for them".

1 1
1. Monday 3rd December 2012 10:29 GMT Danny 14
  
  Re: Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website
  
  Whilst I agree with you in principle businesses dont necessarily need an interactive website. I looked online for local christmas tree farms local to me at the weekend. The one that had a web presence with a google map got my business. I did actually mention it to the guy who pointed to his son and said "he said it would be a good idea for a website".
  
  Same as a butcher. Does he open on saturday afternoon? Is is worth me going or simply nipping to asda later in the day? Was the newspaper shop a tobacconist too or just a shop? Can I get my father some more pipe tips from there or not (I never go to newsagents so ive no idea).
  
  A very simple webpage can generate a surprising amount of business when people search for local stuff.
  
  4 0
  1. Monday 3rd December 2012 12:48 GMT DavCrav
    
    Re: Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website
    
    "Same as a butcher. Does he open on saturday afternoon? Is is worth me going or simply nipping to asda later in the day? Was the newspaper shop a tobacconist too or just a shop? Can I get my father some more pipe tips from there or not (I never go to newsagents so ive no idea)."
    
    This. I wanted to go get a pub meal, new to the area. I know of three pubs near me, the one that I found out I definitely could get food from at that time got my custom. How I found out: the Internet.
    
    0 0
2. Monday 3rd December 2012 10:33 GMT Flawless101
  
  Re: Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website
  
  I don't think businesses need a website as much these days when they can easily make a page on facebook or twitter account and just as easily have an "online presence", which can be more effective than some random website that looks like it was made in the Geocities era.
  
  0 3
  1. Monday 3rd December 2012 14:34 GMT Danny 14
    
    Re: Even though 1 in 5 firms still don't have a website
    
    "I don't think businesses need a website as much these days when they can easily make a page on facebook or twitter account and just as easily have an "online presence", which can be more effective than some random website that looks like it was made in the Geocities era"
    
    Depends if you need to sign up to facebook to see it. I have no facebook account and I dont intend on creating one either. If it is a facebook page that can be seen by all then I see this as a web page. Website/page being something on the internet that I can search for and get answers.
    
    Many hosting companies have very simply wordpress (et al) scripts that can get novices up and running in no time. And without a neon lights scroller in sight!
    
    0 0
Monday 3rd December 2012 11:02 GMT John Smith 19

And many small mfg websites are s**t

The UK has some amazing engineering skills that could supply goods or services to customers anywhere. That back street lockup might actually be doing half its business with South Korea for example.

AFAIK their attitudes seems to be roughly "We know all our customers and they know us so we put something up there because we felt we had to." I'd call it parochial, but I'm not sure how many of them could spell it.

Which means when they next big customer they have never dealt with before goes looking for a new supplier (probably these day with a web search for a quick look) they will be passed completely by.

Fapbook is not a choice. They don't plan parties or organise holidays.

2 0
Monday 3rd December 2012 15:55 GMT Anonymous Coward

It works

30% of our work comes via our website, if not more. And we are in Plant and Tool hire - possibly the most computer phobic industry there is. It just works, and anyone who doesnt have a website is an idiot.

0 0
1. Monday 3rd December 2012 18:59 GMT cosymart
  
  Re: It works
  
  Yes it does work, I have just been looking for a company to carry out some repairs to our company entrance doors and I found a local company with a photo of a set of doors, that they supply, very much like ours. I don't want the hassle of ringing round trying to explain to some bimbo on the reception phone what our doors are like in the hope that they could possibly do the work.
  
  Well over 50% of our business now comes via our website.
  
  0 0