Study lead by Europages Observatory shows that the Internet has a direct impact on SMEs’ international development

Paris, 15 October, 2008 – In a recent online study commissioned by the Europages Observatory, research company OpinionWay surveyed 3,438 SMEs from 4 different European countries that use the Internet as part of their international development strategy. Results revealed that their performance is significantly higher than the average SME that imports or exports.

The Europages Observatory was established in 2002 to better define the expectations, issues and behaviour of European SME decision-makers by keeping them informed of the most efficient, international practices and helping them to promote themselves in the media. As part of this role, the Observatory set out to explore one of the industry’s burning questions: what is the role of the Internet in an SME’s international development and, more specifically, are companies that use the Internet as part of their international development strategy more successful than those that do not?

The response obtained from the decision-makers from each of the 4 European countries surveyed (Germany, France, Spain and Italy) has yielded unexpected results. SMEs that use the Internet as part of their approach to international development have a dynamic and competitive profile. Surprisingly, there are very few differences between the 4 countries taken into consideration. It is also important to note that manufacturers are generally overrepresented (44% of the total number).

The companies surveyed were found to be extremely active internationally regardless of their size (small office, home office or SME): 55% import and 65% export. On average, companies that import are in contact with 3.6 countries and those that export are in contact with 8.7 countries. To put this into perspective, 49% of French SMEs export to one country and 63% export to just two countries. Findings show that the first 15 EU member states, Asia and the Americas are the most important trading zones for SMEs. China, Eastern and Central Europe are among the top geographical zones for Germany, and Africa is one of the main trading partners for France.

The study revealed that 75% of participants considered product quality and expertise to be key to a company’s success in the world market. 58% of German decision-makers cited a company’s specialisation as an important factor to a company’s international development, while cost was mentioned by 44% of Spanish participants. The study also reported that Internet advertising is the primary means of international development for SMEs, ahead of events or tradeshows.

The study concludes that SMEs using the Internet as part of their approach to international development have a higher level of activity and success than those that do not. It is also important to highlight that French SMEs are more or less on an equal footing with their European counterparts, while German companies are a step ahead of the other 3 countries questioned. For example, German SMEs export to 10.7 countries on average, while French companies export to 7.8 countries and Spanish companies to just 6.8 countries. It’s no coincidence that 69% of German companies use Internet advertising, compared with only 45% of French companies.


Two clear conclusions can be drawn from these results:

• Successful companies learn how to adopt and exploit the Internet in their international development strategy;
• The Internet is a tool that increases the potential of international development.

“This study really underlines the potential of European SMEs that use the Internet as a tool for their international development, indicating that they have a much higher performance and success rate than the average SME,” commented Paolo Giuri, CEO of Europages, about the study. “In my opinion, it’s important to find a balance between a company’s needs and the reality of today’s market. And it is now, more than ever, that SMEs should opt for solutions that are efficient, inexpensive and straightforward,” he concludes.