Poll: Marketers ill-prepared for site downtime

Nearly half of UK marketers do not know whether their firms are able to cope with unusual peaks in online traffic.

This is according to new research by network application provider Zeus Technology, which found that 46 per cent of respondents were unaware whether their companies had a solution available for managing traffic spikes.

Zeus noted that this is in spite of almost three-quarters of marketers admitting major issues would result should their websites unexpectedly go down.

The top concerns over the implications of website downtime - which could be minimised with reliable web hosting - included damaged brand reputation, reduced revenue and loss of custom to rivals.

Graham Moore, e-retail specialist at Zeus, commented: "Consumers won't think twice about abandoning their purchase if they experience downtime or a slowdown in service, so addressing this issue is critical in coming months."

A recent forecast from Logan Tod suggested that UK consumers intend to spend more on online purchases for Christmas 2009 than they did last year.