WA firms invest more in web presence: survey
A study of some of Australia's best small and medium enterprises reveals WA businesses invest more in managing their websites compared to the national average.
The data, collected from nearly 600 Business Health Check Reports from entrants to the 2013 Telstra Business Awards, found 92 per cent of WA businesses had a dedicated resource for web management, compared to 87 per cent nationally.
The survey showed 75 per cent sell or distribute their products via their physical sales force and 73 per cent use their website.
Unlike the national picture, WA businesses use more online opportunities to generate sales and distribution rather than a physical sales force.
The survey found 74 per cent of WA businesses use their website and 69 per cent sell or distribute their products via their physical sales team.
With entries for the 2014 Telstra Business Awards open until the end of the month, Will Irving, Group Managing Director of Telstra Business and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador, urged WA businesses to submit an entry and receive a free personal Business Health Check.
The report evaluates each entrants' business performance against international benchmarks, current legislation and accepted industry best practice.
"Since the Business Health Check was introduced in 2010, thousands of awards entrants have found the individual report on their business invaluable as a guide to help them grow by identifying areas to improve," Mr Irving said.
Further analysis of the performance of the 2013 entrants showed:
Social media ranked highest among 15 types of marketing activities used by the 2013 awards entrants, closely followed by website and referrals marketing. This reversed the result in 2012 when website and referral marketing were the highest used, ahead of social media marketing;
SMBs favour less-expensive online activities including social media, email and search engine optimisation - online advertising and mobile marketing do not rate highly among their online activities;
Entrants nominated lower-cost activities such as referral marketing as their best performing activity, followed by face-to-face, website and social media marketing.
Telemarketing was nominated among the lowest performing activities.
More than $800,000 in prizes is available in 2014 for winners of state, territory and national Telstra Business Awards.
Awards information is available at www.telstrabusinessawards.com or by calling 1800AWARDS.
