SmartDebit respond to research suggesting European businesses slow to go online

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SmartDebit

(PRWEB UK) 18 January 2013

According to database and marketing firm Email-Brokers, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have the highest number of companies online, but still found that 40 per cent of businesses in these countries do not have an online presence.

The research found that businesses in the UK and Liechtenstein lead the way in terms of e-commerce, which is defined as the ability to process orders and payments, with 16 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, of businesses offering it. This was compared with 9 per cent of companies in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, and 6 per cent in Belgium.

The study also found that 91 per cent of all corporate websites in Belgium did not meet basic standards, such as supplying sufficient contact information or company details. As well as this, many websites are not being kept up to date, with more than 80 per cent of business sites in Italy, Greece, Belgium and Spain not being updated for more than a year.

SmartDebit provide organisations across the UK with the ability to sign their customers up to pay by Direct Debit via their website. A spokesperson from the bureau commented, “The importance of having an online presence and if possible, an e-commerce facility, is unprecedented in this day and age. You only have to look at the recent demise of some large high street retailers, who have been unable to compete in the digital arena to see severity of not innovating and taking advantage of the ever growing online market. Ensuring your website is as accurate as possible and marketing the correct compliances will inevitably result in consumer confidence in your organisation.”

About SmartDebit

SmartDebit are the UK’s leading Direct Debit collections service, specialising in payment processing services since 1998. A Bacs approved Bureau, scoring ‘Excellent’ in all five categories of the Bacs audit, and ISO 27001 compliant. Providing a complete range of services: Outsourcing; SmartDebit-Admin cloud based portal; SmartDebit-Online payer sign up; SmartDebit-API integrated solution and SmartDebit-Contingency.

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