Poll shows nearly half of all businesses believe online channels will help beat credit crunch

A poll conducted by managed hosting provider NetBenefit has revealed that 42% of companies believe increasing their online presense is an effective way to recession proof their business. With 83% of companies seeing an increase in online spend, NetBenefit argues it’s never been more important to have a reliable hosting platform from an experienced solutions provider in place.

The survey, which was carried out amongst delegates at the recent E Commerce Expo in London, asked respondents a series of questions about online marketing.  Three quarters of respondents (75%) said they had 50% or more of their business online. With 80% saying they plan to move more of their business online in the next 12 months, it’s clear that many businesses believe their online presence will help them beat the credit crunch.

Commenting on the findings of the NetBenefit research, Jonathan Robinson, COO at NetBenefit, says: “Websites are an essential channel for retailers but businesses must remember that shopping around is even easier online for the consumer.  It’s vital that companies with an online presence take hosting seriously otherwise they risk delivering a poor visitor experience with problems such as slow response times or even downtime.

"Ecommerce companies need to give full consideration to the relationship between brand and revenue protection with a truly robust managed hosting platform that can provide guaranteed availability backed up by 24x7 support."

NetBenefit research was backed up by a recent IMRG report which anticipates year on year growth for the final quarter of around 15% as bargain seeking customers spend £13.16 billion online in the run up to Christmas. *

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*www.imrg.co.uk

For further information about this release or any other press enquiries, please email netbenefit@furlongpr.com or contact Ross Furlong on 0845 053 6855