BURLINGTON, Mass., March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Endurance
International Group (NASDAQ: EIGI) today released the results of a
survey of its U.S.-based small business customers. The survey found
that a majority of respondents (68%) believe having a mobile app
would help them sell more and engage better with their customers.
However, in an increasingly mobile environment where consumers are
using their smart devices to find product information and store
locations on the go, more than three quarters of respondents (78%)
do not currently have a mobile solution or mobile app for their
business.
The findings are detailed in the 2015 Small Business
Perspectives on Mobile, a survey of more than 900 of
Endurance's small business customers. The survey provides insight
into small business owners' attitudes and beliefs regarding mobile
applications and future investment priorities in mobile solutions.
View the infographic to see more. The survey is part of Endurance's
ongoing research on small business perspectives and priorities. In
January, Endurance released a similar report detailing small
business attitudes on the economy. On Friday, Endurance will
participate for the first time at SXSW Interactive, where it will
host an event to showcase its latest initiatives in mobile for
small business.
"Creating an effective online and mobile presence is critical
for small businesses to stay competitive and relevant to their
customers," said Hari Ravichandran, founder and CEO of
Endurance. "Historically, sales success has been driven by word
of mouth, customer service, or competitive pricing. But with the
rise of mobile, customers increasingly control the reins—they have
access to information about competitive products and pricing at
their fingertips, long before they step foot into your
business."
"For small business owners, it's important that they have access
to affordable, easy-to-use tools that can get them online and
mobile without complication. Our survey shows that small businesses
understand the growth opportunities associated with mobile
applications, but many feel that they don't have the time,
resources, or expertise to create or manage a mobile solution for
their business. That's why Endurance continues to invest in
developing first-in-class mobile tools for small business owners
because every business, not just the ones with deep pockets, should
be able to take advantage of the growing mobile opportunity," said
Ravichandran.
The $500 Billion
Opportunity
Digital devices' influence on in-store purchase
behavior is growing: more than $500
billion in sales is now influenced by mobile content. By the
end of 2014, the portion of mobile-influenced in-store retail sales
was expected to jump to more than 50%[1]. A
vast majority of small business owners understand this
opportunity—more than 70% of survey respondents feel having a
mobile solution or app would positively impact their business—but
they are slow to act because of the perceived barriers to
entry.
Immediate Obstacles
The top challenges facing small
businesses in regard to mobile, according to respondents, are not
having a mobile presence (50%); reaching a new, younger customer
demographic (37%); and too much time and resources required to
enable mobile sales (37%). Despite recognition that they must have
a mobile presence to stay competitive, small business owners
encounter barriers before they can begin. Half of respondents cite
lack of skill and knowledge as the biggest barrier to having a
mobile solution or app and nearly a quarter (22%) cite concerns
about cost.
Mobile Leads the Future
The outlook for small
businesses on mobile is strong—survey participants are willing to
explore and take advantage of an effective strategy. More than half
of respondents (55%) agree that mobile tools are fundamentally
changing the nature of sales for their business. As small
businesses consider mobile solutions, respondents named device
platform and compatibility (59%), ease of content authoring and
content management system ("CMS") integration (47%) and
personalization and easy customization (46%) as the top three most
important features from a list of seven. Nearly three quarters of
survey participants (71%) plan to make a financial investment in
mobile solutions within the next two years.
About Small Business Perspectives on
Mobile
Endurance International Group is a leading
technology provider of cloud-based platform solutions to help small
and medium-sized businesses succeed online. Endurance, through its
family of brands, supports approximately 4.1 million subscribers
globally.
Endurance conducted its survey of 909 U.S.-based small
businesses from February 26 to March 4,
2015. For purposes of this survey, small businesses are
defined as employing 10 or fewer people on either a full-time or
part-time basis. View the 2015 Small Business Perspectives on
Mobile infographic here.
Additional Survey Findings*
- 78% of respondents do not have a mobile solution or app for
their business; 22% do
- 71% of respondents felt having a mobile solution or app would
positively impact business; 29% did not
- The biggest barrier to creating a mobile solution or app for
their business is lack of skill and knowledge, with concerns about
security representing the smallest percentage
- Lack of skill and knowledge – 50%
- Lack of time to maintain – 23%
- Concerns about security risks – 5%
- Cost to develop – 22%
- Small business owners were asked to rank their top three
challenges in regard to mobile, simply not having a mobile presence
led:
- Lack of a mobile presence – 50%
- Amount of time and resources required – 37%
- Reaching a new, younger customer demographic – 37%
- Ineffective in communicating products or services on mobile –
33%
- Discoverability by potential customers outside of immediate
region – 31%
- Not keeping up with rapid technological advances to grow
business – 26%
- Competitors are optimized for mobile but they are not –
22%
- 65% of respondents agree a mobile presence is required to stay
competitive; 35% disagree
- 87% of respondents agree they are comfortable adopting new
technologies once they become mainstream; 13% disagree
- 23% of respondents agree that having a mobile app is not worth
the business risk; 77% disagree
- 55% of respondents agree mobile solutions are fundamentally
changing the nature of sales for their business; 46% disagree
- 68% of respondents agree having a mobile app will increase
sales and engagement with customers; 31% disagree
- The most important features when it comes to considering a
mobile solution are related to compatibility, integration with
other technologies, and simplicity of content authoring and
personalization. Respondents were asked to rank their top three:
- Device platform and compatibility – 59%
- Ease of content authoring and content management system (CMS)
integration – 47%
- Personalization and easy customization – 46%
- External social media integration (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter,
etc.) – 38%
- Customer relationship management (CRM) integration – 32%
- Push notifications – 22%
- Video capabilities – 22%
- 51% of respondents plan to make a financial investment in
digital tools in 2015; 49% do not
- Respondents are currently investing in the following mobile
solutions:
- None – 52%
- Mobile web – 28%
- Cloud-based systems for e-commerce and e-marketing – 12%
- Mobile apps – 8%
- Respondents anticipate investing in mobile solutions:
- In the next six months – 21%
- In six months to a year – 29%
- In one to two years – 22%
- In two to three years – 7%
- In more than three years – 7%
- Never – 16%
*Due to rounding, numbers may not add up to 100%
About Endurance International Group
Endurance International Group (NASDAQ: EIGI) helps small and
medium-sized business owners establish, manage and grow their
businesses by harnessing the power and promise of the web. As a
leading provider of cloud-based platform solutions to help small
and medium-sized business owners succeed online, Endurance, through
its family of brands – including Bluehost, HostGator, iPage,
Domain.com, A Small Orange, MOJO Marketplace and ResellerClub –
supports approximately 4.1 million subscribers and is able to
tailor solutions for small businesses at every stage and level of
sophistication. Endurance is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, has a presence in
Asia and the Americas, and employs
over 2,500 people. For more information, visit
endurance.com.
Endurance International Group and the compass logo are
trademarks of The Endurance International Group, Inc. Other brand
names of Endurance International Group are trademarks of The
Endurance International Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Press Contact:
Dani
LaSalvia
Endurance International Group
(781) 852-3212
press@endurance.com
[1] Deloitte – The new digital divide: Digital's influence on
in-store sales
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SOURCE Endurance International Group