Company websites 'helping drive trade'

Small business owners are using websites to their advantage when it comes to attracting new customers, new research has indicated.

A study conducted by Citibank and GfK Roper indicates that 42 per cent of small business owners and managers have increased the number of new leads and sales generated in this way during the past year.

Among companies with 20 to 99 employees, this proportion rises to 57 per cent, indicating that websites are becoming increasingly indispensable to small firms.

Some 28 per cent said they had experienced greater success this year using email marketing techniques, while 25 per cent said other online advertising has proved beneficial.

Last week, Ganesh Selvarajah of Business Link told the BBC that companies must develop their websites to effectively market their services.

He claimed that improving their web offering holds the key for many companies attempting to create new contacts and build client relationships.

Written by Debra Hastings-Henry