Small businesses tend to do the personal, face-to-face, and consumer focused experience the best. A survey done by Web.com Group, Inc. found  out that small business owners are missing out on a few things though when it comes to meeting consumer expectations. During their study of 3,000 small businesses and consumers, they were able to find the gap and miscommunication between the owners and the customers. Here’s what they found out:

1. Personal involvement, engagement, and connection are the top two reasons why customers choose the small business over a big brand. Consumers like the fact that small businesses are personal and in touch with them. Business owners are matching the consumer expectation through building those relationships.
2. The consumer expectation is a solid relationship online, in addition to in person.
   The survey found that 83 percent of consumers take web and social media presence into consideration when choosing a local, small business. However, only 34 percent of these respondents say the small business they are loyal to has a website. The consumer expectation isn’t being met here.
3. Small businesses believe their web presence is a lot better than it appears to the consumer. The consumer expectation is not being met here either, but part of that is because of a bit of a miscommunication. Consumers want engagement and relationships through websites and social media, while businesses are seeking to market and build awareness.
4. There are some small businesses that are successfully building relationships through their online presence. While there have been some great strides in this area, there is always room to grow. According to the study, 65 percent of small business owners think they have a pretty good knowledge of digital technology. However, only 41 percent of those surveyed had a website.

It can be scary and daunting to take the in-person relationships and attempt to recreate them online. Susan J. Campbell is determined to get to know and truly understand you and your brand, this includes the relationships with your consumers. Let us help you meet the consumer expectations.