Research published by Daily Deal Media, a provider of news, data and intelligence for Social Commerce and the Daily Deal Industry, shows that many small UK businesses who have had contact with daily deals companies tend to view e-commerce primarily in terms of being a threat to traditional business.
Of the companies surveyed, only 59% see opportunity in e-commerce, compared to 72% of European companies in a comparable survey. This seems to imply that British companies are lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of their enthusiasm for e-commerce. 60% of the companies surveyed have a twitter account to help promote their business while 33% have a Facebook page.
However, many seem confused as to how to best use these social media resources to boost their business. However, the UK government, which sees e-commerce expansion as a strategic imperative, will address the findings of the study by running free e-commerce seminars throughout major UK cities.
Its Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will team up with School for Startups founder and Dragon’s Den panelist Doug Richard to provide assistance for up to 3,500 small business who would like to benefit from the opportunities offered by doing business online.