Title: Product choice for international web-based SMEs

Authors: Amit Bhatnagar

Addresses: School of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, P.O. Box 742, WI 53201, USA

Abstract: SMEs can use the internet to enter new countries. While setting up web-based stores to target consumers in a new country, an important issue for SME managers is what products to sell in their stores. This is because all products are not likely to succeed equally in all cultural settings. In this context, this paper proposes that SMEs should market hedonic products in those cultures where hedonic shopping motivations are dominant and utilitarian products where utilitarian motivations are dominant. This hypothesis was tested on data that was obtained from a web-based survey. The results of empirical analysis supported the hypothesis.

Keywords: product assortment; hedonic products; utilitarian products; web retailing; internet marketing; internet advertising; product choice; international SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; web-based stores; consumer behaviour; customer motivation; etailing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2008.017019

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2008 Vol.4 No.2/3, pp.145 - 155

Published online: 04 Feb 2008 *

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