Small business operators in Australia are currently clueless on the beneficial dynamics of online advertising and most are out of touch on effective ways to virtually connect with potential customers.

This according to a new survey conducted by Yellow Page publisher Sensis, which polled a total of 1800 small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) in Australia.

The Sensis survey released on Monday showed that up to 69 percent of SMEs are not tracking the actual benefits of their online investment ads while a mere 13.2 percent were actually knowledgeable on their online investment returns.

Most SMEs utilising online ads are not maximising the possible benefits of their investments, according to Sensis chief executive Gerry Sutton, who added that Australian small firms are stopping too short on pushing the limits of their online investments.

Generally, Sutton said that many SMEs are grappling with the idea of implementing a definite business strategy on their online advertisements, with some 79 percent admitting that they are grasping on measures to strengthen their online marketing.

The new survey, according to Sensis, provides crucial indicators on SMEs ability to map their business growth through the use of online advertisement as Sutton stressed that "making the right decisions about where to advertise and how to find more customers requires a clear view of how the different elements of their advertising are contributing to the bottom line."

Furthermore, Sutton said that Australian SMEs seem to ignore the importance of seeking professional expertise, which could effectively define strategies that fit their digital marketing approach and target.

The Sensis survey found that only four percent of SMEs tap the assistance of online advertising suppliers in placing their ads while an estimated 30 percent still base their advertising decisions on customer feedbacks instead of employing adverts analytic tools that offer more accurate and cost-effective measures.

Sutton surmised that SMEs confusions could be mostly due to the digital world's complexities, which he said could be easily solved by contracting professional services that could aid the small companies into getting the most of their online investments.