Press Releases

Budapest, April 30, 2025 14:00

Anyone who is not on the internet, or whose web interface does not have the necessary functions, is invisible. The results of a recent, national, representative study ¹ conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Telekomconfirm this: a presence on digital platforms is no longer a matter of choice, but a condition of existence for a business.

Online presence has become a key competitiveness factor for businesses in just a few years, while according to BellResearch's ² 2024 study, barely more than a third of companies with less than 10 employees have a website, and when looking at micro-enterprises and the entire SMB sector together, it does not even reach 40%. According to the research, more than 40% of SMBs dealing with 'housing or garden renovation and maintenance' and 'car and motor vehicle assembly' use a website. While in trade and 'legal or financial services', the presence of websites in the operation of enterprises is below the average of 40%. However, in order to promote the digitalization of companies, it is also important to understand the reasons behind the fact that some businesses do not use the opportunity of a website. The four company segments just mentioned are also interesting because in the case of companies there, a significant proportion, 30%, cited the high cost of developing or maintaining a website, or the lack of human resources and competence. In almost all industry segments, every second business believes that “their customers do not require it” – the exceptions being 'accommodation, travel, entertainment' and healthcare.

The results of a recent Ipsos survey commissioned by Telekom show a picture that is contrary to this majority entrepreneurial attitude. In the half a decade ³ since Telekom's previous 2020 survey, the way we look for professionals, shops, and small businesses has radically changed. Five years ago, we still made decisions based primarily on recommendations from family members and friends (61%), but today, with 89% of people mentioning it, the internet has come in first place, and our relatives and acquaintances are now only the second most important point of reference, whie third place goes to social media. That is, although most people search for small businesses on multiple channels, 7 out of 10 people now do so most typically on the internet.

ONLINE PRESENCE HAS BECOME A MATTER OF TRUST

The results of the survey show a clear direction: for businesses, online presence is no longer an option, but a strategic necessity. The digital tuning of smaller businesses has long been a priority goal for Telekom – which is why it joined, as a partner, the Sándor Demján “Every business should have its own website” Program, which helps SMBs develop digitally, and can accelerate the digital transformation of the entire domestic economy.

Two-thirds of respondents (three-quarters in Budapest) do not trust a business that they cannot find feedback about online, and the majority (56%) prefer to be able to handle the entire transaction process – purchasing, ordering, making an appointment – online. 44% of respondents also consider it important that the business they trust is present on a social media site.

The most important customer needs related to online presence are, in order of importance: displaying prices, hourly rates, quick response, displaying reviews, discounts, promotions, opening hours, contact information other than a phone number, and making an appointment. Young respondents in particular highlighted the importance of finding a website among the first search results – which draws attention to the importance of search engine optimization.

Telekom's research examined and compared expectations at the level of ten occupations and areas of activity. From this data, the service provider created a clear knowledge base that carries practical value for most businesses, which Telekom is now sharing with interested businesses planning digital progress, on the Hello Business platform .

WHAT ARE WE MOST LOOKING FOR?

Online commerce, healthcare, hospitality, travel, professionals/craftsmen – these are the areas we search for most often. We search for lawyers and legal professionals primarily on websites, while in the case of sports, education and hospitality, social media is the default search channel. Telekom’s research also showed that Tiktok is becoming increasingly indispensable for sports and fitness services. Customers of beauty care or hospitality services can be reached most easily via social media.

Most people on social media platforms are looking for products, services or opinions about specific businesses, so the number one expectation for social media presence is credibility, which also includes taking on negative comments (85%). Up-to-date information provision (84%) and quick responses (82%) are also basic requirements here, and a direct, friendly style (77%) is even more important than displaying ratings (76%). The most popular formats – far ahead of written text – are images and videos.

In light of this, it is interesting that, according to an analysis based on research ⁴ conducted by BellResearch in 2024, about 44% of micro and medium-sized enterprises have a profile on a social network. In the vast majority of cases, this means Facebook, but about 10% of businesses are also present on Instagram. Digitalization means a next level of operation in the online space, whether companies have sold any products or services via an online platform in the past 12 months or plan to do so in the next year. According to the research, less than 10% of SMBs sold something online last year and about the same number of them plan to do so only this year. And these two values together do not even reach 20% on average. Hospitality, 'accommodation, travel, entertainment' perform by far the best in online sales, trade, car and other mechanical engineering are average, while 'home and garden renovation' or 'legal and financial services' make less use of sales opportunities in cyberspace, but based on research data, a leveling-up is expected in this area in the near future.

“Five years ago, a static website was enough, today well-working functions such as appointment booking, evaluation, and customer service are also among the basic requirements. Our digitalization packages provided within the framework of the “Every business should have its own website” program are logical continuations of the consistent work we have been doing in the field of digital development of businesses for many years. It is important that we get to know not only the opportunities of the businesses concerned, but also the expectations of their potential customers. Based on the detailed assessment of customer needs, we come up with digital tuning solutions that can significantly improve the online presence of entrepreneurs: they can develop their businesses step by step to move the country forward,” emphasized Tamás Sipos, head of the small and medium businesses segment at Magyar Telekom.

Telekom also helps businesses advance digitally with the opportunities provided by the "Every Business Should Have Its Own Website" Program. Applicant companies receive practical assistance in developing the image and content of their websites and social media platforms, in using cyber security and online sales support services, with non-refundable state support.

The service provider also incorporates the uniquely detailed knowledge it has accumulated during the current research and the operation of the Telekom Hello Business platform into the development of businesses.

1) IPSOS - Consumer digitalization expectations regarding the online presence of SMBs, research commissioned by Telekom, February 2025
2) BellResearch – Business ICT demand research commissioned by Telekom, September-December 2024[1]
3) NRC – Digitalization of SMBs in Hungary, September 2020
4) BellResearch – Analysis prepared for Telekom based on the Hungarian Infocommunications Report, 20240