Here’s a potentially worrying research statistic: 91% of websites for small and medium businesses are not accessible through mobile devices.

The top line result of the UK survey, from website platform provider BaseKit, may not come as much of a surprise given the company’s business.

Yet the result is still a worry, especially given the prevalence of mobile in retail operations from the consumer’s perspective.

The research also found that less than one in five (18%) of the 510 SMES surveyed have SEO-optimised websites, whilst only half bothered to use social media at all.

Plenty of column inches have been dedicated to how mobile is revolutionising the retail experience. Back in January UX design agency Foolproof released figures which revealed how one in four UK shoppers indulged in showrooming – checking the price of a product in a bricks-and-mortar store before using their phones to purchase from a rival.

In July MarketingTech spoke with Alan Gabbay, CEO of product search finder Udozi. Gabbay explained his vision to use mobile technology to help the high street, not kill it off. “I think if these retailers can embrace technologies like the mobile phone, we can still live with the high street,” he said.

Juan Lobato, the CEO of BaseKit, said in a statement: “In this day and age, a website that can only be accessed via PC is positively prehistoric.

“Consumers are now accessing websites on the go, especially on the high street, and businesses with no mobile offering are simply missing out.

“Our research showed that over 50% of new traffic now comes via mobile, and so it is essential that SME websites should be designed with mobile in mind,” he added.

What’s your view of the results? Why do you think small businesses aren’t going mobile?