Internet debt advice has increased 133% over the past year, according to new figures released by debt advice charity, Debt Support Trust. Some people who contacted the charity for advice increased across all mediums, however their internet debt analyzer rose significantly higher than other contact methods.

When comparing the number of internet debt analyzer between 2012 – 2013 there was a 113% rise in help received. Like-for-like use of the online debt analyzer grew 8.1% over the previous year while telephone contact fell. During the first five months of 2012 the online debt analyzer accounted for 70.4% of all contact to the charity. During the same period in 2013, online debt advice share of all contact rose to 78.5%.

In comparison contact via telephone calls year on year rose 49.17%, however it’s share of overall contact fell from 27.5% in 2012 to 19.6% this year.

Charity Trustee for Debt Support Trust, Stuart Carmichael mentioned,

It’s vital to understand the rise in people in debt wishing to make first contact via the internet. People are often worried about the first conversation regarding their debt problem, so contacting our charity via internet or debt analyser makes it easier to get the necessary help without having to use the words “I’m in debt and need help”.

These new figures come after the Office of National Statistics found internet retail sales rose 10.3% in May, when compared to the previous year.

While retail trade association, IMRG found internet retail sales rose 16% in May, compared to the previous month.

These increases are significant because they come during a financial downturn, when other retail sectors are struggling to survive.

Future of Internet Commerce

Only last month the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) estimated a 22% drop in the number of retail shops in the UK because of the rising use of the internet.

Whether you’re selling a product or giving advice, it’s clear the internet is the future for all businesses, charities and organisations.

However a well-designed and optimised website is key for every business to use the rising online demand.

With smartphones it’s now easier and more accessible than ever for people to contact businesses online, but is your business setup for it?

The key aspects to look out for when building an online presence for your business are as follows,

• Web Design – It’s important your website designer makes your site responsive, this will mean it will fit on mobiles, tablets and smartphones. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and include options for people to buy or book your services. It’s also a must that you include social tools to increase your Facebook likes or Twitter followers.

• Social Media – When used properly social media can give your business a route to advertise services and products for free to thousands, if not millions of people. Having a Facebook and Twitter account can help you keep in touch with customers and get feedback from them as well.

• Social Marketing – Some big companies have really started working on their social marketing, for example Coca-Cola now have names on their bottles which encourages people to take a picture and share online. It’s simple, low cost and an extremely effective method of marketing.

Most are just some of the useful points to consider when using the internet to grow your business but there are plenty more.

 Author Bio

This guest post is written by Craig Carmichael. He is a website designer and optimizer with years of experience helping companies raise their online presence.

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