E-commerce - Still Some Way To Go

Our CEO, David Curtin, was interviewed by the Irish Times on the development of E-commerce in the Irish SME community

E-commerce – Still Some Way To Go

Insights
by .IE
29 Apr 2019

Irish companies still have a way to go on their e-commerce journey, according to research carried out by the .IE.

“From our research in the SME Digital Health Index 2018, we know that three quarters of SMEs have a website, but how do they use them?” asks Chief Executive David Curtin. “Ninety-five per cent have at the very least a basic description of their services. An encouraging trend is that 73 per cent have mobile-optimised websites, up from just half last year.”

Despite these improvements, most SME websites are simply what Curtin describes as “digital business cards”. Only 34 per cent allow a customer book a service or make an appointment or reservation through their website. Less than a third (30 per cent) can take sales orders, while even fewer, 26 per cent, can process payments.

“Our research asked SMEs why they don’t have e-commerce capabilities,” Curtin continues. “The answers were mixed: 15 per cent said they don’t have the volume of sales to justify having an online store, while a combined 24 per cent are concerned about data protection and regulation, credit card fraud and cybersecurity.”

While Irish SME business owners conduct business online, for example, online banking, making online payments, ordering from suppliers online and shopping online, they don’t offer this convenience to their own customers. Indeed, most consumers will struggle to even find many Irish SMEs on the web. The majority don’t promote their services either through paid advertising or through search engine optimisation.

“There are huge benefits to being online,” Curtin concludes.

“SMEs report that having a website and being online saves them time (27 per cent), reduces costs and overspending (20 per cent), increases awareness of their business (77 per cent) and increases revenue for their business (27 per cent).”