New research reveals that having a website will help a business achieve growth far more than having a social media presence.

A survey of over 2,000 small and microbusinesses by website provider 123 Reg finds that businesses with a website were 51 per cent more likely to grow than those without. Those that used Twitter were 38 per cent more likely to grow, while those using Facebook saw 46 per cent growth.

However, a huge nine in ten micro-businesses are not equipped with the website skills they need to help them grow. This has resulted in only one in five micro-businesses being visible online.

These findings reveal that more needs to be done in building a strong base of website skills, before looking to expand social media skills to help sales grow in real terms.

Interestingly, the research also reveals that Pinterest is the social media platform which helps small businesses achieve growth more than any other social media channel. Half (54 per cent) of those who used Pinterest find that their businesses experience growth.

Nick Leech, digital director at 123 Reg says, ‘It’s really important to see the impact the gap in digital skills is having on small business growth and to identify the areas that businesses could focus on to improve growth. At 123 Reg, we’ve developed a Digital Skills Assessment tool, which allows business owners to identify areas where they can develop their digital skills and an Online Business Training platform where they can do this for free.’

Related: Advice for small businesses on building a website on a shoestring