The share of French micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises with a website has declined for the first time since the surge seen during the pandemic, according to a new report.
Data from the Les Créavores Observatory indicates that the proportion of these businesses with a website fell to 61% in 2025, down from 70% in 2024. This follows findings from the France Num 2025 Barometer, which measured a comparable 64.6%. The results suggest that digital adoption among small French businesses has plateaued following a decade of consistent growth.
The decline was observed across all measured online channels. Social media presence fell from 75% to 64%, online directory listings dropped from 47% to 37%, and marketplace presence decreased from 15% to 12%.
While the use of these tools has decreased, interest in the internet remains high, with 99% of business owners stating it is useful or essential to their operations. The observatory attributes the slowdown to budget caution, noting that 66% of small businesses now spend less than €300 annually on their online presence.
The report also highlighted significant gaps in digital fundamentals. Nearly half of all companies do not use an email address on their own domain, 44% are unaware of whether they are protected against cyber threats, and 61% do not track their online performance.
These gaps contrast with the potential economic benefits of a strong digital presence, as 26% of businesses that are properly equipped attribute more than 30% of their revenue to the web.
The Les Créavores Observatory, based in Metz, France, compiled its findings by aggregating official public data from the Afnic “Réussir avec le web” 2025 study and the France Num 2025 Barometer.
