– Most small businesses have adopted AI, but most owners still struggle to use the technology effectively
According to Bluehost’s inaugural State of Small Business AI Confidence study, nearly 90% of small business owners utilize AI, yet only one in five feels highly confident in their ability to make the most of its potential.
This lack of confidence seems to carry sizable financial results for developing organizations.
Business owners who report high confidence in navigating AI tools are nearly three times as likely to see a positive boost in overall revenue
“More than 87% of [small business owners] are using AI for general purposes, asking questions, performing research or even generating content as generative AI,” said Bluehost CEO Sachin Puri. “Less than 20% are really feeling confident. And those who feel confident are generating up to 3x return on their revenue.”
Puri noted that closing this gap allows smaller firms to control the same powerful technology as major corporations at a much lower cost.
“Your data protection is embedded into these all-access packs for a very simple fee. The way we have built this technology today, you don’t need to make compromises. You can get access to the similar technology that big companies use at a much more affordable price because what you have is the power of numbers and volumes,” Puri said.
To help bridge the divide, tech providers are focusing on accessible, straightforward tools such as automated website builders that design functional platforms based on simple business descriptions.
Safeguards, such as embedded data protection, are also becoming standard features to help small businesses adopt AI without risking security.
“The way we have thought about it, and we have millions of customers who use our technology for more than two decades, is using something that is practical, easy to use, and it is affordable. I talked about the AI Website Generator; what this does is, you tell and describe what your business is and what you’re trying to do, and you get a website completely out of the box,” Puri said.
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