Report finds less than 50% of Canadian small businesses have websites

A new study concluded that fewer than half of Canada’s small businesses have an online presence, and they may be losing out on sales opportunities.

According to the study by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, three-quarters of Canadians research purchases online, but only 41.1 per cent of small businesses have a website.

Overall, the study found that just 45.5 per cent of Canadian businesses are online.

The study also found that half of Canadians surveyed said they prefer .ca domain on a website over .com for business use and for online activities that require the disclosure of personal information such as shopping or banking.

The study was done by the organization that manages the .ca domain.