This study, “THE IMPACT OF ONLINE MARKETING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN NIGERIA” contains concise information that will serve as a framework or guide for your project work. The project study is well-researched for academic purposes and are usually provided in complete chapters with adequate References. Keywords: THE IMPACT OF ONLINE MARKETING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Businesses are looking to new technologies to meet their unique business requirements and position themselves to take advantage of global changes in business activities. Businesses both large and small need information to succeed in today’s rapid changing environment, they need to be able to process data and use information effectively when conducting their day-to-day operations. The growth of the Internet has opened up a vast arena, providing more opportunities for businesses, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to sell their products and services to a global audience than they would have been able to afford to reach using the traditional methods. A search of literature reveals that many changes in organization today have been technology driven Clarke (2001) notes that information technology (IT) is really changing the whole nature of business transaction between consumers and suppliers of goods and services. Pigneur (1996) points out that companies especially SMEs are confronted with a number of changes that require innovative answers. These challenges include the emergence of a competitive global economy; the trend towards an information based economy, and the shift from mass production to a customer-driven economy. He adds that to compete in today’s global information-based and customer-driven economy, SMEs must be efficient, innovative and competitive: able to respond just in time, focus on quality, and implement mass-customization. He suggests that in order to do this today, they must also be able to leverage the new information and communication= technologies (ICTs) to fit better in their environment, establish more co-operative inter-organizational relationships and compete on the international markets (Pigneur, 2006). There have been many studies and reports published in UK and overseas in the last few years on the Internet usage in business in general. This study is not another examination of the general usage of Internet in business, rather it builds and summarizes the extensive and valuable research already completed in these areas and extracts the essential themes and messages being expressed by most SMEs. The study aims to examine the perceived opportunities and benefits that Internet usage can offer to SMEs. Barnes et al., (2008) asserted that SMEs make significant contribution to most economies of the World, they are socially and economically important, since they represent 99 % of all enterprises in the EU and provide around 65 million jobs and contribute to entrepreneurship and innovation. SMEs have been shown to contribute significantly to country and regional economic growth, increased employment levels and locally relevant product and service. SMEs are very important to the UK economy; they accounted for 99% of all enterprises and provide over 59% of private sector employment (BERR, 2008). They are also the source of future growth and innovation. Barnes et al., (2008) argue that the advent of the digital economy has made the adoption and use of Internet a significant issue for most SMEs. Yet, many SMEs find themselves in a difficult situation. They may be too small to be able to employ a dedicated IT expert and lack the resources to buy consultancy advice. They often have limited experience in selecting, implementing and evaluating suggested IT solutions (Barnes et al., 2008). Barnes et al., (2008) noted that SMEs find themselves caught in a trap, lack of resources means that while there may be an aggregate demand for IT service and advice, individually, the varying nature of that demand makes it uneconomical for other firms to provide a service meeting that demand. According to Bili and Raymond (2003), Small and Medium Business Enterprises (SMEs) are considered to represent the driving forces of sustainable local economic development throughout the world. They form the base of economies, stimulate private property and entrepreneurial capabilities which, due to their flexibility, can quickly adjust to market changes, generate employment, create diversified economic activity, and contribute to exports and trade. Consequent upon this background, this research aims at examining the impact of online marketing on the performance of SMEs in Nigeria with particular reference to Jumia Nigeria.
Keywords: THE IMPACT OF ONLINE MARKETING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN NIGERIA
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