Research into online marketing activities and tools for measuring their efficiency by entrepreneurs in the czech republic

Abstract

The 21st century has brought dramatic changes to the work and personal lives of people regarding the existing traditional forms of how to manufacture, how to provide services to customers, how to communicate with customers, business partners, and with each other. The Central Bohemian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs (STAMP), established in 2002 as an organization for women entrepreneurs from Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, as well as other regions, has identified differences in the use of online marketing of its members operating in small and medium-sized enterprises, especially among self-employed entrepreneurs. In this way, STAMP tries to map out the reality and determine the level of readiness in the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed persons (freelancers) for the emerging sector of Industry 4.0 in the area of awareness of its existence, real knowledge, and the use of online marketing activities to communicate with customers and business partners. The study also suggests that being aware of the possibilities of measuring effectiveness and the real use of the information obtained will lead to an increase in the effectiveness of marketing itself and to a greater competitiveness in the market. STAMP implemented a pilot project with the support of the authors of this article between August and October 2019, and from January to March 2020 using AMBIS, Ltd. and Skoda Auto University’s own marketing research. This paper proves that a relationship exists between the use of marketing online tools and the size of companies. The study provides evidence that ICT tools are an essential part of online marketing activities as an important part of the entrepreneurs’ e-commerce endeavors.