01Bitkom Research 2025
88 %of German companies using AI use it for customer contact. This makes marketing/communication the most important application area.
kosecom / ResearchResearch · DACH · 2026
DACH AI MarketingBenchmark 2026
10 primary studies, curated with implications for DACH SMEs. Data from Bitkom, Statista, OECD, IONOS, BrightLocal and Thryv. All sources with date, sample and methodology.
Research · DACH · 2026
Key Numbers at a Glance
Distilled from the 10 studies. Every number links to the original source. As of: July 8, 2026.
02Bitkom Research 2025
57 %of AI-using companies specifically deploy AI in marketing and communication. This makes marketing the top application field, ahead of R&D (21%) and production (20%).
03IONOS AI Study 2025
+11 PPGrowth of AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany in just one year: from 21% to 32%.
04Glassix Chatbot Study 2024
+23 %Conversion increase at companies using AI chatbots. Plus 18% faster problem resolution and 71% success rate on requests.
05Harun Studio 2025
32 %higher bounce probability when load time increases from 1 to 3 seconds. At 5 seconds load time, it's 90% more bounces.
06BrightLocal 2024
+70 %more direct calls and directions when the Google Business Profile is fully optimized. Local SEO works measurably.
10 Primary Sources, Documented
10 Primary Sources, Documented
Each study was accessed directly from the provider and documented with date, methodology and sample. We don't quote secondhand.
Bitkom Research: Marketing in Digital Transformation 2026
- Publisher ·
- Bitkom e.V.
- Date ·
- February 2026
- Sample ·
- n > 600
- Methodology ·
- Online survey
Key finding: AI drives innovation and growth.
Bitkom Research: Artificial Intelligence in Germany 2025
- Publisher ·
- Bitkom e.V.
- Date ·
- 2025
- Sample ·
- n = 215
- Methodology ·
- Online survey
Key finding: AI usage by business area.
AI Study 2025: AI in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
- Publisher ·
- IONOS
- Date ·
- 2025
- Sample ·
- n = SMEs
- Methodology ·
- Online survey
Key finding: 32% of SMEs use AI.
AI in Companies 2025
- Publisher ·
- Federal Network Agency
- Date ·
- July 2025
- Sample ·
- n = companies
- Methodology ·
- Online survey
Key finding: Marketing is the most common use case.
AI as a Competitive Factor
- Publisher ·
- IW Cologne
- Date ·
- 2025
- Sample ·
- n > 1,000
- Methodology ·
- Quantitative survey
Key finding: Benefits exceed costs.
AI Adoption by SMEs
- Publisher ·
- OECD
- Date ·
- December 2025
- Sample ·
- G7 countries
- Methodology ·
- OECD ICT Database
Key finding: AI adoption among SMEs is growing faster.
Small Business AI Adoption 2025/2026
- Publisher ·
- Thryv
- Date ·
- July 2025
- Sample ·
- n > 1,000
- Methodology ·
- Cross-industry survey
Key finding: 54% use AI marketing tools.
Chatbot Conversion Study 2024
- Publisher ·
- Glassix
- Date ·
- 2024
- Sample ·
- B2B
- Methodology ·
- A/B test
Key finding: +23% conversion with AI chatbots.
Core Web Vitals 2025
- Publisher ·
- Harun Studio
- Date ·
- 2025
- Sample ·
- 10 million visits
- Methodology ·
- Web performance analysis
Key finding: 90% higher bounce rate at a five-second load time.
Local SEO Statistics 2024
- Publisher ·
- BrightLocal
- Date ·
- 2024
- Sample ·
- Local businesses
- Methodology ·
- Cross-industry survey
Key finding: +70% calls from optimized Google Business Profiles.
Implications for DACH SMEs
Implications for DACH SMEs
What the data concretely means for owner-managed companies in the German-speaking region.
1. Marketing is the fastest entry point
Bitkom and IONOS consistently show: marketing and customer communication are the most common and fastest application areas for AI — not production or logistics. If you want to start with AI, it makes sense to start in marketing, not accounting.
2. SMEs are catching up, but still hesitant
OECD data and the IONOS study show convergence between SMEs and enterprise, but still a gap. 32% for German SMEs vs. significantly higher values for large companies. Those who get in now secure 12 to 24 months of competitive advantage.
3. Chatbots pay off — but only done right
+23% conversion at Glassix, +67% in the 6-month Conferbot study. Important: The success rate depends on the knowledge base (RAG) and GDPR-compliant hosting. Bad chatbots cost trust.
4. Load time is a conversion question
90% higher bounce rate at 5 seconds load time. If you run a WordPress site that takes longer than 3 seconds to fully render, you lose a third of your visitors — before any content can take effect.
5. Local SEO works measurably
+70% calls from a fully optimized Google Business Profile. For any business with a regional catchment area (food, crafts, local services), Local SEO is the highest-ROI single marketing lever.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Study
Frequently Asked Questions about the Study
01Who created this study collection?
kosecom Research, curated by Ahmet Köse (Founder & CEO). We link exclusively to primary sources that we verified directly with the provider. As of: July 8, 2026.
02How often is it updated?
Quarterly. We check whether new studies have been published and add them. Outdated sources are replaced, not just added — so the collection doesn't bloat over time.
03Are all sources freely accessible?
Yes, all 10 linked primary sources are freely readable — as PDF, industry report or publicly accessible study report. We don't link paywall content.
04Can I use the data in my own publications?
Yes, with attribution. The study collection itself is under CC BY-NC 4.0. Please link to the original source, not this secondary site.
Research · DACH · 2026
This study collection was last updated on July 8, 2026. All data points are dated. When individual studies are updated, we adapt the collection and mark the last change. License: CC BY-NC 4.0.