GoDaddy 2020 Entrepreneur Survey reveals importance of digital adoption

10x Industry

Mita Srinivasan
10x Industry
Published:

GoDaddy 2020 Entrepreneur Survey reveals importance of digital adoption

36 percent of UAE entrepreneurs have increased their online presence to help attract and retain more customers.

GoDaddy’s 2020 Entrepreneur Survey, released recently, revealed that 36 percent of UAE entrepreneurs have increased their digital marketing activities to attract more customers. Nearly a third use their current online presence to sell goods or services. 68 percent are sure that their business could survive a second wave of COVID-19 as big as the first one.

The quantitative survey report studied the effects the global pandemic has had on entrepreneurs and small business owners in the UAE and stated that most respondents intend to sell their products and services through social media platforms in 2021. A third of the respondents said that they plan to set up an official website for their business.

The survey highlights that 21 percent of respondents said that, pre-pandemic, they managed the technology needs of their business themselves. 28 percent said they had a friend or family member do it for them, while only less than a fifth had a web developer/professional manage their technology needs.

Findings from the survey indicate that 4 in 5 entrepreneurs feel that there is a good mix of online tools and resources available for small businesses which allows them to easily digitize their business. 84 percent consider digital adaptation to be very or relatively important towards achieving the UAE’s ‘Vision 2021', which envisions economic advancement by promoting knowledge, innovation and technology which is a positive, optimistic sign.

Finally, the survey concludes that nearly a half of the respondents agree that practicing business ethics and values is a major contributor to a business' success in the long term, with 94 percent believing that business ethics and values are very or relatively important to their company/brand, in regard to how they operate internally and while working with customers and vendors. 86 percent of entrepreneurs consider workforce diversity to be very or relatively important for their company. Similarly, 46 percent agree that it is a part of their company’s purpose to positively impact the local community.