The Impacts and Results of Online Presence for Small Business
Location
CSU 202
Start Date
16-4-2013 2:20 PM
End Date
16-4-2013 3:20 PM
Student's Major
Management
Student's College
Business
Mentor's Name
Queen Booker
Mentor's Department
Management
Mentor's College
Business
Description
During the years 2006 to 2010, small businesses looked for areas to gain a competitive advantage in a recession era. Some attempted to create an online presence for themselves through the use of a website or social media network. Primary research from one of my previous studies of the 2006-2010 period revealed that small businesses that had a website were 14 percent more likely to be profitable than those that didn’t. In the age of the “user”, prospect customers that only view a product or service online before going to the store, having an online presence is the only way to reach that target group. Other reasons to have an online presence include more accessibility, a greater audience, brand building, reviews, and overall easier marketing. This research project examines whether having website presence impacted profitability for three geographically, economically and ethnically different areas in the United States.
The significance of this research is to determine if an online presence increased the probability of profitability for small businesses during the United States economic recession and subsequent recovery. The primary research methodology is observational research using convenience sample data from three regional small business development centers. The centers supplied data regarding number of employees, industry type, website presence, and net revenue from 2007-2010 for a 433 small businesses. Binary regression will be used to determine factors influencing profitability. I expect outcomes to show that companies with an online presence were significantly more likely to be profitable than companies that did not use any online resources.
The Impacts and Results of Online Presence for Small Business
CSU 202
During the years 2006 to 2010, small businesses looked for areas to gain a competitive advantage in a recession era. Some attempted to create an online presence for themselves through the use of a website or social media network. Primary research from one of my previous studies of the 2006-2010 period revealed that small businesses that had a website were 14 percent more likely to be profitable than those that didn’t. In the age of the “user”, prospect customers that only view a product or service online before going to the store, having an online presence is the only way to reach that target group. Other reasons to have an online presence include more accessibility, a greater audience, brand building, reviews, and overall easier marketing. This research project examines whether having website presence impacted profitability for three geographically, economically and ethnically different areas in the United States.
The significance of this research is to determine if an online presence increased the probability of profitability for small businesses during the United States economic recession and subsequent recovery. The primary research methodology is observational research using convenience sample data from three regional small business development centers. The centers supplied data regarding number of employees, industry type, website presence, and net revenue from 2007-2010 for a 433 small businesses. Binary regression will be used to determine factors influencing profitability. I expect outcomes to show that companies with an online presence were significantly more likely to be profitable than companies that did not use any online resources.
Recommended Citation
Schmitt, Emily. "The Impacts and Results of Online Presence for Small Business." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 16, 2013.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2013/oral-session-13/1
