Abstract
The development of Information and Communication Technologies has enabled companies to spread messages globally, allowing them to open new markets and reach international clients. In this sense, the multilingual dissemination of corporate information plays a key role, and, for this purpose, websites are great communication vehicles. The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the internet presence of SMEs in Andalusia, along with their intention to reach international targets via the multilingual dissemination of corporate information, as well as determining the variables that influence these factors. To meet these objectives, a sample of 1425 SMEs has been analyzed. Results show that 52.3% of the companies evaluated had a website and only 10.3% of them offered their content translated to, at least, one language, and that variables such as company size, area of specialty and location may have an impact on these two aspects. The findings reveal that more research and policies are required to support SMEs in their digitalization and internationalization process.
Highlights
The information society provides great opportunities for companies when it comes to pursuing their professional activity and offering their products and services to clients and customers
Despite the numerous studies outlining the importance of web translation and localization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) internationalization (Ahlfors and Fang, 2017; Cermak and Smutny, 2017; Chhibber and Chadha, 2020; Clavijo-Olmos, 2018; GutiérrezArtacho and Olvera-Lobo, 2017a; Singh et al, 2012), the findings reveal there is a generalized lack of awareness of the benefits of offering a website adapted to several languages and cultures
This paper contributes to furthering knowledge on the situation of SMEs in terms of their internet presence and the multilingual dissemination of their corporate information
Summary
The information society provides great opportunities for companies when it comes to pursuing their professional activity and offering their products and services to clients and customers. Et al (2018), who remarks that, despite the economic sphere being demanding and challenging for SMEs, they can take advantage of the elements provided by ICTs to create a solid internet presence allowing them to take their brands to their target audiences This presence is achieved by means of the internet and the world wide web, which are great allies for the dissemination of corporate and commercial information, allowing SMEs to access global markets, interact with potential customers and improve their corporate image (Chaffey & Smith, 2013; Olvera-Lobo & Castillo-Rodríguez, 2018). In terms of Web 2.0 tool usage, according to the aforementioned report, Andalusia follows the national and European trend, with 70.6% of SMEs having a website
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