U.S. Small Businesses Bet on Apps and Analytics for Growth

U.S. small and medium-sized businesses are expanding beyond storefronts as websites, mobile apps and social media reshape how customers discover and revisit merchants. PYMNTS Intelligence says the decisive advantage is not simply operating online but measuring which channels generate new business. Formal analytics, customer relationship management systems and promotional codes can help owners direct marketing spending more effectively and build repeat sales, making customer tracking an increasingly important divide between growing and struggling firms.

A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 526 U.S. SMB executives, conducted May 1-24, 2026, found that 51% of companies with formal customer-acquisition tracking posted revenue growth in 2025. That compared with 34% of firms relying only on informal observation and 22% of businesses with no tracking method. Among current users, 73% plan to expand their mobile-app presence and 69% expect to increase social-media use, while just 6% of all respondents plan to add a physical store.