The digital solutions powering the future of your business

We surveyed 197 businesses like yours across professional services, food/dining, and retail sectors for their take on the same challenges you face. In addition to this, we have developed The Visa Digital Business Kit - a set of resources to help businesses meet their needs. These resources will help you discover what it takes to unlock success, and why there’s no time to lose if you want to keep up with the competition.

For businesses looking to get ahead, and reach more customers while keeping control of costs, today’s digital landscape is an opportunity waiting to be seized. Thanks to smart technologies that can make your day-to-day tasks easier to manage, as well as mobile devices and 24/7 connectivity that mean the business is always open, businesses have the potential to establish a presence, build a community and grow.

The consumer landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Our short video explains how Visa is helping businesses progress in their digital journey, with the insight you need to plan ahead, and the tools to make it happen.

What do customers want most?

Online spending in the UK topped £106 billion in 2019 and will continue to grow steadily . But not all businesses are ready. While 46% of customers check a new business’s website before visiting, only 54% of businesses we surveyed have an online presence ready for them. There’s an unprecedented opportunity to prosper, if you can deliver what customers are looking for. When it comes to choosing where to shop, 90% of customers just want an easy to use website, while 72% actually prefer to hear from a business through digital channels (by email or social media). Successful businesses attract customers with an eye-catching, useful website – and keep the relationship going with a consistent conversation….

Our research reveals some fascinating insight into what customers are really looking for online, while our suite of Digital Business Tools allows you to deliver the solution. A strong customer experience can help bring in more customers, increase sales, and create customer loyalty. Ultimately, it’s about delivering experiences that enhance and simplify your customers’ lives. For stores, that means competitive discounts and free, fast delivery. For restaurants, it’s about making it seamless for customers to explore the menu, place an order, and pay in one session. For services, it’s the opportunity to book and pay at any time without making a call.

Our research dispelled the myth that cash, cheques and paper invoices are the easier, cheaper and faster way to do business. We discovered that 57% of consumers would prefer to shop with their card alone, and that 42% of businesses already prefer digital payments over cash and cheque – typically for business expenses such as petrol, dining & entertainment and travel. By moving away from paper or cash, two things happen: Your customers save time, accumulate rewards, and find it easier to track spending when they pay digitally. On the other side of the checkout, your business benefits from fraud protection, seamless integration with invoicing and accounting tools, and greater insight into your customers’ spending behaviour. Incremental evolution in payments can add significant value, like adding online payments to your website, or removing minimum purchase requirements or surcharges for digital payments.