Digital performance indicators as drivers of small business competitiveness in the digital economy

The article investigates the impact of digital performance indicators on the competitiveness of small enterprises in the context of digital transformation. A survey was conducted among 254 business representatives in Ukraine to obtain empirical data. The study aimed to assess the application level of digital marketing tools and identify the key digital metrics used by small businesses to evaluate marketing effectiveness. The study focuses on performance marketing indicators such as branded website traffic, social media followers, organic search visits, advertising reach, profile visits, conversions, customer engagement, and online advertising costs. A correlation analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficients to determine the relationships between digital performance indicators and the financial outcomes of business activities. The study revealed several statistically significant positive correlations, indicating a strong association between the growth of digital presence and increased business revenues. In particular, branded traffic, organic search visitors, and the number of social media followers demonstrated the strongest correlations with the volume of customer orders. Additionally, moderate positive correlations were observed for advertising costs, social media reach, and profile visits. These findings suggest brand development and organic digital promotion investments enhance business performance. Furthermore, a multifactor regression analysis was conducted to quantify the combined influence of multiple digital indicators on the revenue of small enterprises. The regression model demonstrated a high explanatory power (R² = 0.8988), confirming that nearly 90% of the variance in sales can be explained by the analyzed digital performance factors. The results emphasize the strategic importance of brand awareness development, organic search optimization, and targeted audience engagement through social media platforms for small business growth. The research outcomes offer practical implications for optimizing digital marketing strategies in small enterprises with limited resources. The proposed analytical approach may serve as a framework for managerial decision-making, helping businesses to allocate marketing budgets more effectively, prioritize digital channels, and enhance long-term competitiveness in the rapidly evolving digital economy. Keywords: performance marketing, digital marketing, small enterprises, digital performance indicators, competitiveness, digital transformation, correlation analysis, regression analysis.