Online Presence Vital for Small Businesses

For small businesses, an online presence is essential, which has become a key competitiveness factor in recent years, said Tamás Sipos, head of Magyar Telekom's small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) segment, presenting the results of a representative survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Telekom at a press conference in Budapest on Wednesday.

Those who are not on the Internet or whose web interface does not have the necessary functions are left behind because they are "invisible", he added.

Seven out of ten people looking for a small business already do so online. Two thirds of those surveyed, three quarters in Budapest, do not trust a business they cannot find feedback about online. "The majority prefer to be able to manage the entire process of buying, ordering and booking an appointment online," the expert said.

He explained that the most important customer needs for an online presence are the display of prices, followed by the hourly rate, a quick response, reviews, discounts, promotions, opening hours, contact details other than the telephone number, and booking an appointment. For young respondents in particular, it is important that the website is among the first search results, which highlights the importance of search engine optimisation.

According to the survey, the most popular online services people search for on the internet are online commercial services, health services, hospitality and travel. Lawyers and lawyers are mainly searched for on websites, while social media is the default search channel for sports, education and hospitality. Telekom's research also showed that TikTok is becoming increasingly inescapable for sports and fitness services.

Tamás Sipos said that the number one requirement for a social media presence is credibility, which includes taking on board negative comments ( 85%), up-to-date information (84%) and quick responses (82%), while 77% said that a direct, friendly style is important. Images and video are the most popular formats, far ahead of written text, he said.

More than 40% of SMEs involved in home or garden renovation, maintenance or car repair use a website, the survey found. In the retail, legal or financial services sectors, the presence of websites in business operations tends to be below the average 40%.