Key Australian statistics — 2024–2025
The numbers at a glance
93%
of Australians search online for local brands before visiting or buying. If you're not showing up, you don't exist.
Yellow Digital Report 2024
+60%
more revenue per employee for highly digitally engaged businesses compared to those with poor digital engagement.
Australian Gov. DFAT — Towards 2030: Digital Economy Report
59%
of Australian small businesses still have no website — rising to 65% in regional areas. Your competitor probably isn't online yet.
2024 Australian SMB analysis (GoDaddy / auDA)
+28%
faster growth rate for businesses with strong digital engagement vs those with low engagement.
Deloitte Digital Pulse / DFAT Digital Economy Report
How Australians find and choose local businesses (2024)
Search online before visiting a local business
"Near me" of all mobile searches
Read reviews before making a purchase
Prefer to buy from businesses with a website
Use Google Search for in-store related queries
Browse local businesses online weekly (no purchase intent)
Use voice search daily for local queries
Sources: Yellow Digital Report 2024, Red Search Australia, Google Australia, BrightLocal
Head to head
With a website vs without
✓ With a modern website
✓
Discovered in ~1,009 searches per month via Google Business Profile — for free
✓
Generates up to 2× more leads than businesses without a site
✓
Up to 25% additional revenue growth attributed directly to web presence
✓
Shows up in "near me" and voice search results — the fastest-growing search type
✓
75% of consumers prefer you — credibility matters
✓
Takes bookings, enquiries, and orders 24/7 — even when you're closed
✓
Reviews and photos drive 59%+ of purchase decisions — you control your story
✓
Appears in Google AI summaries and ChatGPT recommendations
vs
✗ Without a website
✗
Invisible to 93% of Australians who search online first — they never see you
✗
Missed by every "near me" search (84% of mobile traffic)
✗
Customers actively choose a competitor who does have a website
✗
Zero ability to capture bookings or enquiries outside business hours
✗
Cannot be found by AI search tools — a gap that's growing fast
✗
Lower perceived credibility — consumers assume the business is outdated or closed
✗
No data — can't see who's interested, what's working, or where to improve
✗
44% believe they're "too small to need one" — the most common and costly misconception
Victoria spotlight
What's happening right here
Real Victorian case study — Great Coffee Moments, Port Fairy
This café operated for 7 years with zero online presence. After joining the Victorian Government's Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, they launched a website, integrated booking system, online store, and active social media accounts — going from entirely invisible to fully discoverable, and from manually managing bookings to running them automatically.
The Victorian Government backed it with $20 million
The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program supported 10,000+ Victorian businesses to build a digital presence — offering $1,200 rebates for websites, booking systems, and online tools. The program exists because the evidence is overwhelming: being online works.
$34B+
Victoria's digital tech industry revenue annually
Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
39%
of Australian SMEs generate meaningful online revenue — vs 67% Asia-Pacific average
RockingWeb / ABS data
8×
more likely to create jobs — digitally engaged businesses vs non-digital
Digital Solutions Program data
Why 59% of Australian small businesses still have no website
"We're too small to need one"
The average expected cost for a professional website is ~$3,200. At Launcht, we start from $300 — which is why none of these reasons need to stop you.
The bottom line
The window won't stay open forever
In Victoria and across Australia, a local business with a modern website earns more revenue per employee, grows faster, generates more leads, and captures customers around the clock. With 59% of competitors still offline, the businesses who move now lock in a real and lasting advantage. That gap is closing — but it hasn't closed yet.
Sources
All data is sourced from Australian Government reports, industry research, and publicly available studies. We don't cherry-pick — these are the headline numbers from credible sources.
Yellow Digital Report 2024
Australian Government DFAT — Towards 2030
Deloitte Digital Pulse
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Red Search Australia — Local SEO Statistics 2025
Victorian Government — Small Business Digital Adaptation Program
Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
QuickBooks — Australian SMB Insights July 2024
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey
RockingWeb — Australian SMB eCommerce Adoption 2025
auDA — Benefits of .au website 2024
