TPG Design went to last week’s report launch for Capital Connected: Helping London Businesses Grow Online.
It was interesting hearing the panel, and in particular Joe Mitton and Chi Onwurah MP, talking about the issues facing SMEs in London – not least, the lack of fast and reliable broadband within the city – “36% of businesses have been negatively affected by slow internet connection speeds over the last 12 months.”
Another highlight from the report details that lack of skills is one of the reasons why 44% of London firms don’t have a website. From a web developer’s perspective, this is something our industry suffers from:
x Would you service your own car? Maybe top-up the water, change the wiper blades, but how about an annual service?
x Would you do the conveyancing for your house sale? Maybe read-up on it so you are informed but would you have the know how to go through the detail?
x Would you plumb your own bathroom? Maybe put some new sealant in or descale the taps, but how about a new shower and electrics?
Web design and development is a skill, in the same way was a car mechanic, solicitor and plumber have skills that we don’t all posses. There seems to be notion that anyone can “knock-up” a website together, yes they can, but how’s going to look and function? Will it be the right look for your business? If you don’t have the skills in-house, you’re better of asking someone who does!
The digital word is constantly moving and we can’t help but be aware of the data and security issues that affect our lives. Hiring a professional means you get a proper job done.
Another statistic details that 53% of businesses believe that a responsive website is not relevant to their business. Wow. Nowadays, to stay the same, you have to change – the landscape is constantly evolving, Google now ranks non-responsive sites lower than responsive sites and our browsing and shopping is increasingly done on mobiles and tablets. There’s no second chance with visitors to your site. According to the ONS (2015) Internet Access Households and Individuals 2015 survey, 69% of adults currently use the internet to find information about goods and services.
There was also talk of having a star rating system for landlords and their buildings; that internet connections to buildings should be a given requirement, as electricity currently is.
Lots of bed time reading!
London Chamber of Commerce Report – Helping London Businesses Grow Online
