How Advanced are Websites of SME Exporters? An Investigation into Drivers and Inhibitors

Abstract

Despite the much publicised advantages of a website for SME exporters, the level of website sophistication, as well as the factors which inhibit or stimulate exporting SMEs to develop their website beyond a basic level of sophistication, are still unknown. The literature is prone to discuss website establishment and development simultaneously, splitting firms into adopters and non-adopters, yet websites may be established and then neglected, or be continually developed. This paper introduces an instrument for measuring website sophistication within an export marketing context, and proposes and empirically tests a model that depicts factors impacting on perceived advantages of a website and website sophistication levels. The results identify export diversity and environmental pressure as key determinants of perceived advantage of a website which in turn is a good predictor of website sophistication. The firm internal resources, i.e. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge and time, in conjunction with entrepreneurship orientation also determine an SME exporter's website sophistication level.

Citation

Winklhofer, H., Houghton, K. and Chesney, T. (2006), "How Advanced are Websites of SME Exporters? An Investigation into Drivers and Inhibitors", International Marketing Research (Advances in International Marketing, Vol. 17), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 395-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-7979(06)17015-5