Digital adoption is crucial for SME survival
EOLAS Magazine - June 2020
As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how essential digital is for SME survival. Businesses need to be agile and many have demonstrated the ability to pivot their offerings online in order to maintain sales and be helpful to their customers during these unprecedented times. Now is the time to plan for the recovery and consider consumers’ evolving needs.
“COVID-19 has highlighted how many SMEs had neglected their online platforms for e-commerce. However, with remarkable speed, many SMEs have embraced digital tools, platforms and websites”, explains our CEO David Curtin.
Our latest SME Digital Health Index, which analyses Irish SMEs and consumers’ attitudes to digital technology, shows almost six in 10 consumers say making online purchases is ‘important’ to them. More than half of Irish consumers want their local high street shops to offer a full online shopping service (such as direct-to-door delivery) and 45 per cent want a click-and-collect service.
COVID-19 has accelerated these trends. People are staying safe and working from home, and they have turned to online and e-commerce for goods and services. The message is clear. Irish consumers expect their local SMEs to be online. They want to see what their local shop has to offer, buy their products online, and have it delivered straight to their door.
Read the full article here.
Further reading: SME Digital Health Index – a research report analyses Irish SMEs and consumers’ attitudes to digital technology.
Seán Buckley is our Marketing Intern working within our corporate communications team.