Fasthosts SME Indicator gives help to online firms

Web hosting firm Fasthosts has launched new research designed to help firms evaluate the status of their online presence and improve their web sites.

There has been a 50 percent increase in registered UK sites in the last year but many firms are still undecided about their online goals and what tools they need to improve their presence, according to Fasthosts.

The SME Indicator study identifies three main types of online business using evaluation criteria like frequency of site use, number of IP addresses needed and amount of hosting services used.

These range from very small businesses just getting to grips with the internet, to larger, more established firms that rely more heavily on the web for revenue, according to Fasthosts product marketing director, Steve Holford.

"It's good for companies to think about where they are and what they want from the internet," he added. "Small and medium-sized firms especially are not quite sure how the internet works – how they can utilise tools to increase their exposure and business opportunities."