Study predicts 40 percent of small businesses to have Web sites by end of year

The Kelsey Group and ConStat, Inc. released research findings indicating that 40 percent of all small businesses will have a Web site by the end of 2000. This number represents a 74 percent increase from today, when 23 percent of small businesses have a Web site up and running. A third of the companies

that expect to be online by the end of the year plan to use their Web sites as electronic platforms for selling goods and services. The research also indicates that small businesses are eager to take advantage of the Web's interactive capabilities to strengthen their local client base, and are beginning to seek more comprehensive services to facilitate this process. The findings are based on 600 interviews in Wave Two of The Kelsey Group/ConStat's Local Commerce Monitor. The Kelsey Group is a provider of research and analysis focusing on local advertising, voice and wireless technology and electronic commerce. ConStat, Inc. is a provider of custom market research and strategic planning for the high-tech and telecommunications industries and specializes in researching the attitudes and behaviors of small businesses.

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