THE £3.3 billion e-spending boom predicted for the Christmas period will bypass most small and medium sized enterprises in the south west, according to a report from Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire.

The results of more than 3,000 interviews with SMEs across the south west region revealed that 53.9 per cent of businesses have not yet woken up to the e-commerce and electronic trading revolution as they do not have a website.

Plans to make the transition to electronic trading do not appear high on the agenda for these businesses and, according to the survey, seven in ten businesses without a website and eight in ten without e-mail have no intention of getting on-line within the next 12 months.

Even those businesses in the south west that do operate a website offer limited facilities to customers and corporate clients.

The most common is the opportunity to enquire about available goods and services the survey showed that 87.7 per cent of SMEs with a website offer this facility.

By contrast, 55.6 per cent of companies with a website revealed that it was not possible for customers to order or book products or services online and only 13 per cent offered the ability to buy via the website.

Peter Beech-Allen, e-business advice team manager at Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, said: "Looking in isolation it is difficult sometimes for a business to see the benefits that it may gain from engaging with existing and potential customers on-line.

"In order for businesses to take to e-business, they need to see for themselves the actual benefits in productivity and profitability, which means either having direct experience or gaining awareness via a similar company.

"There are a number of schemes operating in the region, through Business Link and other agencies, to make it easier to adopt e-business practices.

"Any business talking to one of our e-business advisers will be shown relevant examples of others benefiting and will have an assessment of how e-business could improve their own business.

"The advisers will show schemes and plans that will bring the business into the e-business world, to access the potential trading benefits.

"For more information, ring Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire on 0845 600 41 41.