This will see 54 per cent planning to enhance their websites, while just 16 per cent will launch apps despite the ongoing rise of mobile, and ten per cent will introduce a website for the first time.
Elsewhere, 13 per cent will develop online payment support and ten per cent will introduce foreign language versions of the site in order to cater for overseas sales potential, the study found. “Investment in digital capabilities can significantly enhance business growth opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses,” said Stephen Dury, MD, SME markets & business development, Santander Corporate & Commercial.
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The average British SME has committed £33,212 on digital investment in the past year, which is set to be injected with a further £28,224 in the next two years. In fact, the data revealed that eight per cent of UK companies had spent over £100,000 in the last year, while six per cent expect to increase investment by the same amount in the future.
The British Retail Consortium, Google and O2 are among businesses currently behind a five-year plan to use digital to “reinvigorate UK high streets,” but Santander has said financial and IT SMEs have spent the most on digital in the past year – a trend set to continue.Share this story