News from the Wire

Business survey shows majority of SMB websites not optimized

Tuesday, September 02, 2014 — 14:58:12 (EDT)

New York, Sept. 2, 2014 -- Newtek Business Services, Inc. NASDAQ: NEWT, The Small Business Authority®, with a portfolio of over 100,000 business accounts, announced today the findings of its SB Authority Market Sentiment Survey, a monthly window into the concerns of independent business owners. Based on a poll of over 1,400 respondents, the key finding from the August survey is 50% of business owners say web traffic from search engines is an important source of new business opportunity. However, when asked if their website is optimized to maximize its search engine traffic, a majority of business owners answered either "no" or "unsure."

The full August 2014 results showed the following:

Poll Question / Poll Answer / Percentage Is web traffic from search engines an important source of new opportunity for your business?

Yes: 50% No: 36% Unsure: 14%

Is your website optimized to maximize its search engine traffic?

Yes: 41% No: 36% Unsure: 23%

Barry Sloane, Chairman, President and CEO of The Small Business Authority® commented, "The market for independent business owners is one where every dollar counts. An underutilized or underperforming website is simply unacceptable for most business owners today. Costs are rising and sales are hard to come by but technology is one key tool that can save a business in a tough environment. Newtek recommends that independent business owners freshen up and sharpen their websites in order to compete in today's economy. A website is a vital asset that must perform well and more businesses need to respect and understand the power of Internet search, as well as optimize their websites for internet traffic going forward. Our poll did not offer completely surprising results however we continue to encourage businesses to pay more attention to the quality of their website and better understand the value of Internet search."

About Newtek Business Services, Inc. Newtek Business Services, Inc., The Small Business Authority®, is the Authority for the small- and medium-sized business (SMB) market providing a wide range of business services and financial products under the Newtek(®) brand. Since 1999, Newtek has provided state-of-the-art, cost-efficient products and services and efficient business strategies to over 100,000 business accounts across all 50 States to help them grow their sales, control their expenses and reduce their risk.

Newtek's products and services include: The Newtek Advantage((TM)), Electronic Payment Processing, Managed Technology Solutions (Cloud Computing), eCommerce, Business Lending, Insurance Services, Web Services, Data Backup, Storage and Retrieval, Accounts Receivable Financing, Payroll.

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Source: Company press release.