While small and medium-sized businesses seem to be playing catchup with their larger competitors when it comes to establishing an online or digital presence, 2014 appears poised to be a year of change.

According to a study by j2 Global, SMBs say that increasing their online presence in the coming year tops their list of priorities, with almost thirty percent of those surveyed saying that that the digital world will be addressed, whether through something as fundamental as setting up a website or taking a more aggressive approach and creating an online store.

However, SMBs have been somewhat reticent when it comes to addressing mobile commerce, even though larger companies have identified this as a critical service for reaching customers. Almost 50% of SMBs do not have a website optimized for mobile access, as revealed in a joint survey conducted by ControlScan and TransFirst in April of 2013. The study also found that close to an additional 20% said they did not know if they even had that capability, indicating a significant gap in understanding the potential of m-commerce.

However, when small-to-medium businesses do go mobile, Facebook is where they invest their time and effort, with 70% either currently using or planning to include Facebook as the primary component of their mobile marketing strategy in 2014.

With almost half of the nation’s consumers accessing mobile internet services during the coming year (and that figure is expected to increase to almost 70% over the next three), providing mobile accessibility means being constantly available to consumers.

Reference:

eMarketer. “SMBs Focus on Increase Online Presence,” December 18, 2013.