A research study, commissioned by Yellow, shows a limited increase year-on-year in the number of small to medium Kiwi businesses who have an online presence.

Over 1,000 businesses across regions and industries participated in the research, and while 66 percent reported they have some form of online presence, that number’s only 5 percent more than last year.

For Yellow CEO Tracey Taylor, the results aren’t surprising, given the research also highlights that perceptions around difficulty and cost are still prevalent:

“We get it, digital can be hard. But it’s an essential part of the overall mix. The small businesses that we see succeed are typically using a ‘multi-channel’ strategy, supporting different customers to connect with them in different ways.”

Yellow provides a free print and online profile for any business. Now, they’ve taken it a step further, offering an unlimited number of free ecommerce websites (powered by Shopify) for the next three months.

“Offering free ecommerce websites is our way of showing some love to Kiwi businesses at Alert Level 4. For those with essential goods, like butchers, bakers and greengrocers, this could make a real difference. These businesses can trade right now with one of our free online stores and contactless delivery.” 

Taylor says with efficient product planning, a business owner can get one of Yellow’s templated websites with an online store live in 1-2 days. 

To get a free ecommerce website go to Yellow.co.nz or call 0800 803 803.

After the 3 month free period, the websites cost up to $45 per month to run.