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Website quality and performance indicators including ratio numbers – A study of German and Danish SME companies

Author

Listed:
  • Heiko Thimm

    (Pforzheim University, School of Engineering, Tiefenbronner, Pforzheim, Germany.)

  • Karsten Boye Rasmussen

    (University of Southern Denmark, Department of Marketing & Management, Campusvey 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.)

  • Wolfgang Gohout

    (Pforzheim University, School of Engineering, Tiefenbronner Str. 65, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany.)

Abstract

We expect economic benefits from companies with good company websites. However, only little is known about the real effects of good websites on company success. Based on data about 1,000 small and medium-sized European production companies in Germany and Denmark a study is conducted in order to uncover correlations between economic indicators and the quality of company websites. The set of performance indicators for the companies are extracted from the ORBIS company database. The website quality data are obtained through a criteria-based evaluation method. A set of multivariate analyses of the data are performed using the Pearson method and the Spearman method. These analyses also include investigations for the constituent parts of indicators that are ratio numbers. At the country level, it turns out that in some areas the Danish companies outperform the German companies. Also the obtained results show that there exists a correlation between the website quality and the number of employees. A yet insignificant correlation between website quality and the ratio number ‘financial gearing’ is revealed, too. However, when decomposing ‘financial gearing’ into its constituent parts, bivariate correlation analyses with the constituent parts lead to highly significant correlations.

Suggested Citation

  • Heiko Thimm & Karsten Boye Rasmussen & Wolfgang Gohout, 2016. "Website quality and performance indicators including ratio numbers – A study of German and Danish SME companies," Journal of Business, LAR Center Press, vol. 1(3), pages 22-36, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:lrc:larjob:v:1:y:2016:i:3:p:22-36
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sharma, Divesh S., 2005. "The association between ISO 9000 certification and financial performance," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 151-172.
    2. Liwen Vaughan, 2004. "Exploring website features for business information," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 61(3), pages 467-477, November.
    3. Liwen Vaughan & Guozhu Wu, 2004. "Links to commercial websites as a source of business information," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 60(3), pages 487-496, August.
    4. Enno Masurel, 2004. "Websites and SMEs: do they have productivity impact?," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(1), pages 20-27.
    5. George, Gerard & Zahra, Shaker A. & Wood, D. Jr., 2002. "The effects of business-university alliances on innovative output and financial performance: a study of publicly traded biotechnology companies," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 577-609, October.
    6. Wu, Chunchi & Ho, Shih-Jen Kathy, 1997. "Financial Ratio Adjustment: Industry-Wide Effects or Strategic Management," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 71-88, July.
    7. Youmin Xi & Youlong Zhuang & W. Huang & Congguo She & Zhipeng Zhang, 2007. "The Quality Assessment And Content Analysis Of Corporate Websites In China: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making (IJITDM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(02), pages 389-405.
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    Cited by:

    1. Heiko Thimm & Karsten Boye Rasmussen, 2021. "Website disclosure of environmental compliance management—the case of European production companies," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(4), pages 648-670, December.
    2. Di Fatta, Davide & Patton, Dean & Viglia, Giampaolo, 2018. "The determinants of conversion rates in SME e-commerce websites," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 161-168.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Company performance indicators; Correlation analysis; Small and medium enterprises; Website quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • C8 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • M15 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - IT Management
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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