The Internet as an

alternative distribution

and communication channel

for SMEs producing quality

agro-food products

Carmen Rodríguez Santos

Universidad de León.

carmen.santos@unileon.es

Miguel Cervantes Blanco

Universidad de León.

ddemcb@unileon.es

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Este trabajo analiza el uso de Internet como canal de comunicación

y distribución entre SEMs en el sector agroalimentario. La investi-

gación se centra en la incorporación de este canal de marketing

por empresas de una región española, que comercializa productos

bajo el distintivo de calidad, estimulados por la ventaja competiti-

va que este medio proporciona. Con este objetivo, se investigaron

259 empresas, utilizando 62 variables descriptivas para evaluar sus

websites.

This work analyses the use of the Internet as a communication and

distribution channel among SMEs in the agro-food sector. The work

focuses on the incorporation of this marketing channel by rms

from a Spanish region commercializing products under a quality

sign, encouraged by the competitive advantage this medium pro-

vides. With this objective, 259 rms are investigated, using 62 des-

criptive items to evaluate their websites.

RESUMEN

ABSTRACT

Clasicación JEL:

M37

Palabras clave:

website, apelación

al origen, empresas

agroalimentarias,

SMEs

JEL Classication:

M37

Key words:

website,

Appellation of origin,

agro-food rms,

SMEs.

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Primer semestre, enero-junio 2011

Introduction

The current work investigates small and medi-

um-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the agro-food

sector specialised in making products with the

quality sign Protected Appellation of Origin (PAO)

or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). These

marks or certiﬁcates are increasingly important at

present. A total of 227 PAOs and PGIs exist in

Spain, and they cover very diverse product cat-

egories.

PAOs and PGIs are marks of identity that

consumers value extremely highly, and they are

allowing SMEs from a particular region to im-

prove the commercialisation of their products.

But the progress that these ﬁrms have made fun-

damentally centres on the product rather than

on commercialisation strategies or policies.

Thus, and with the aim of providing speciﬁc

marketing solutions to favour the commerciali-

sation of these agro-food products, the object of

this study is to analyse the distribution and com-

munication practices of the SMEs from this sec-

tor. The work focuses speciﬁcally on the Internet

channel as a potential medium for commer-

cialising these products.

In this respect, e-marketing has developed

signiﬁcantly in recent years. The Internet is now

an extremely important communication and

distribution channel, particularly for SMEs be-

cause of the efﬁciency-cost relation (Aguiló,

1996; Quelch and Klein, 1996 and 1996b; Bon-

són and Sierra, 1997). The World Trade Organi-

sation has called the Internet a “great leveller”, as

it provides a more level playing ﬁeld for SMEs

and large ﬁrms. SMEs can use the functions of

this new channel to carry out commercial strate-

gies that were once limited to large ﬁrms. Thus,

such ﬁrms can not only make sales, but also

carry out promotion techniques and public rela-

tions, disseminate commercial information, con-

duct customer service, gather information for

commercial research, and so on.

Marketing techniques using the Internet as a

communication medium include advertising on

the websites of ﬁrms and/or regulatory boards,

e-commerce, public relations via e-mail, public-

ity (offering information to other host pages),

sponsorship, as well as the use of discussion fo-

rums, news servers and discussion groups (Car-

pintier, 1996; Sánchez et al., 1997). On the

other hand, the demand for products through

this channel has increased markedly in recent

years. Finally, this medium allows ﬁrms to ex-

change company information with other inter-

nal (Intranet) and external agents (suppliers,

customers, etc.) much more ﬂexibly and eco-

nomically (Gómez-Limón, 2002).

All this reinforces the need to analyse the

current situation of Internet use among agro-

food SMEs, and the potential contribution of

this communication and distribution channel to

the development and growth of this sector.

Thus, the electronic sale of quality agro-food

products offers potential beneﬁts, which ﬁrms

have yet to fully exploit, in terms of convenience

and immediacy that makes it a valuable comple-

ment to the physical store. On the other hand,

the presence of these products in virtual stores

provides an extra beneﬁt apart from the sales, in

terms of advertising: being present in a website

that sells “quality products”.

This work speciﬁcally analyses how, and how

much, agro-food ﬁrms from Castile and Leon (a

region in the north west of Spain) use the Inter-

net as a communication and distribution chan-

nel for their products, as well as their position-

ing in this regard. The work investigates the

possession of websites in 259 ﬁrms. For those

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The Internet as an alternative distribution and communication channel for SMEs producing quality agro-food products

ﬁrms that use this channel to contact the con-

sumer, the authors analyse how developed the

website is on the basis of a list of 56 items con-

cerning: technical aspects such as usability, avail-

ability of navigation menu, presentation, or the

functionalities of the website; the commercial

information offered on the company, the pro-

duction process (considering the preparation

process, the120 technology, the preparation area

and the raw materials) and the product (includ-

ing the PAO/PGI under which it is commer-

cialised); the website’s adequacy as a sales medi-

um; and other descriptive attributes of the site.

Evaluation of website development

by SMEs in agro-food sector

Several authors have pointed out the extraordi-

nary opportunities the Internet offers SMEs

(Geiger and Martin, 1999; Lee, 2001; Daniel et

al., 2002; Siu, 2002). In this respect, in recent

years companies, including SMEs, have made a

great deal of effort and progress in the use of the

Internet (Stevenson and Hamill, 2002). Howev-

er, progress has not been uniform in all sectors

(Kula and Tatoglu, 2003): agro-food ﬁrms make

less use of the potential of the Internet than ﬁrms

from other sectors.

Some statistics show how a third of small

companies have not yet included new technolo-

gies in their business strategies (Pratt, 2002; Au-

ger et al., 2003). On the other hand, the design

of SMEs’ websites – one of the most popular In-

ternet resources – is not entirely appropriate, ei-

ther in content or in functionality, interactivity

or value offered (Stevenson and Hamill, 2002).

This places limits on the extent to which this

major means of interacting with consumers can

be exploited. Thus, one of the basic pillars of

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is

customer interactivity, which is achieved by in-

cluding in the website information and services

of use to the consumers (Sparkes and Thomas,

2004). On the other hand, the Internet’s poten-

tial for SMEs is not limited solely to increasing

customer loyalty; the medium is also a key factor

in obtaining access to niche markets (Kleindl,

2000).

In the same line, Ditto and Pille (1998) classify

the impact of the website on the consumers at

three levels: informative, at the most basic level,

using the website as a unidirectional medium to

offer the same information as the traditional

channels provide; transactional, making commu-

nication with the customers possible, allowing

them to contact the company by e-mail, tele-

phone or other means; and relational, acting as a

key marketing tool to achieve interaction with

the customers, developing a lasting relation with

them. In turn, Hamill (1997) proposes a model

for SMEs, offering three Internet applications in

international marketing: network communica-

tions, market intelligence and global sales pro-

motion.

In the case of Spain, according to a survey

on the use of Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) and e-commerce by compa-

nies in 2005-2006, conducted by INE, the Span-

ish National Statistics Institute, the main reasons

companies in the agro-food sector give for sell-

ing over the Internet are, ﬁrstly, to keep up with

competitors, to accelerate the business process,

improve service quality, improve the corporate

image and reduce business costs. A lower, but

also signiﬁcant percentage, mentions geogra-

phic expansion of the market, attracting new

customers and offering a tailored service as rea-

sons. A ﬁnal, less important reason is to launch

new products/services.

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Table 1 · List of items used for website evaluation

Items

Information on company

1. Company name

2. Legal form of company

3. Address and location of winery/factory

4. Indication of PAO/PGI held by company

5. Company shows its logo on website

6. Indication of product sold

7. Company shows main brands it sells

8. Information on production sold

Product

31. Information on product portfolio or presence

of catalogue

32. Displays photographs of product

33. Displays product by label

Website

evelopment of website

10. Presence of graphics

resence of images

12. Presence of mobile elements (banners…)

inks

14. Novelty or originality

nformation in English or other languages

16. Usability

ite Map

18. Search Engine

lossary

20. Date of last update

Sale

34. Shows products with prices

35. Availability of electronic sale

36. Types of payment allowed

37. Safe payment assured

38. Company has physical point of sale

39.

eferral to physical establishments for sale of products

(own shops or distributors)

40. Provides information about purchase by telephone or e-mail

41. Delivery terms and other services on website are dened

42. Provides on-line sales, providing price of products marked

43. Purchase suggestions linked to price

44. Provides discounts and oers

Information on production

21.

dentication of product type most commercialised by

company

22. Information on raw material

23. Information on preparation process

24. Information on preparation area

25. Information on technology used

26. Information on composition of products

27. Information on quality control systems

28.

ecommendations on how to consume product,

recipes …

29. Weather information on location for technical purposes

30. Description of land orography for technical purposes

Communication

45. Introduces company and history

46. Provides direct contact with company by post

47. Provides direct contact with company by e-mail

48. Provides direct contact with company by telephone

49. Information on exports

50. Organises site visits to company

51. Organises tasting sessions

52. Provides gastronomy-related information

53. Provides tourism-related information

54. Provides advice on health-related aspects of consumption

55. Provides sundry news on world of wine/cheese …

56. Provides possibility of joining club or forums

57. Organizes competitions

58. Provides catalogues

59. Press dossier

60. Publishes the annual accounts

61. Opinion of endorsers

62. Shows awards and mentions

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The Internet as an alternative distribution and communication channel for SMEs producing quality agro-food products

The main problems of companies in this sec-

tor that sell over the Internet are that the product

is not suited to sell online (this being the main

reason mentioned by companies for not selling

online), and that customers and other compa-

nies are not ready for e-commerce. Other obsta-

cles are uncertainty about the legal framework of

online sales, and security-related issues concern-

ing payment. Logistics issues are the last prob-

lem mentioned. Apart from these issues and ob-

stacles, companies not commercializing their

products over the Internet consider that they do

not need to.

Methodology

This study analyses 259 companies in the agro-

food sector that make quality products from

Castile and Leon. These companies were ﬁrst

asked if they had a website. If they did, the re-

search team analysed the website according to a

list of items developed speciﬁcally for that pur-

pose (see Table 1).

Results and discussion

Of the 259 companies consulted, 87 have active

websites, 10 have websites in construction, and

162 have no website. The rest of the work exam-

ines these 87 active websites.

Development of website

In global terms, website development obtains a

positive assessment, this being considered very

good in 21.84% of the websites analysed, good

in 42.53%, and intermediate in 33.33%. Like-

wise, usability and appraisal of the site map both

score between 7 and 10 in 88.34% of the web-

sites. A point clearly requiring improvement,

however, is the originality of these websites. Al-

though this is not exactly a weak point, ﬁrms

should take the initiative and improve originali-

ty to attract the attention of potential consumers,

increasing the power of attraction and persua-

sion of their websites. This is also a means of

contact with the consumer, conveying image.

Only one website does not show images, but

very few use graphics. Mobile elements appear

in 59.77% of the websites. Few websites include

links to other websites. Sites can agree to include

links to each other, so clearly this option is un-

derexploited. Another aspect requiring major at-

tention is foreign language versions of website

information, an option available on just 60.92

per cent of the websites. On the other hand, only

10.34% of the websites consulted provide a

search engine, and none offer a glossary. Only

three of them include the date of the last update

(see Table 2).

Information on company

All the websites consulted display the company

name prominently, and all but three show the ad-

dress of the winery or factory where the products

are made. An important fact is that the company

logo is displayed, as a sign that identiﬁes it. This

is the symbol that allows the consumer to recog-

nise the company when deciding what to buy.

Fully 97.70% of the websites show the logo, as

well as the product sold, which is very important

to aid the memory, as well as to form an associa-

tion between the company and product.

In this analysis, the weakest point observed

concerns the websites’ lack of information on

the PAO/PGI that protects the products. Only

55.17% of the websites display this information.

Thus, despite the efforts the companies have

made to obtain that certiﬁcation, and their con-

sumers’ positive valuation of it, companies do

not communicate that distinctive mark efﬁciently.

(see Table 3 - Figure 1).

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Frequency

Name of company 100.00

Address and location

of winery/factory

96.55

Indication PAO/PGI 55.17

Company logo 97.70

Product commerc. 97.70

Brands commerc. 91.95

Production commerc. 8.05

Production

Brands

Product

Logo

PAO/IGP

Address

Name Co.

Table 3 · Figure 1. Information on company

0 20 40 60 80 100

Table 2 · Development of website

Frequency (%)

Development of website

1 2 3 4 5

1.15 1.15 33.33 42.53 1.84

Graphics 2.30

Images 98.85

Mobile elements 59.77

Links 31.03

Novelty or originality

1-3 4-6 7-10

4.60 29.89 65.52

Information in other languages 60.92

Usability

1-3 4-6 7-10

1.15 10.34 88.34

Site Map

1-3 4-6 7-10

1.15 12.64 86.21

Search Engine 10.34

Glossary 0.00

Date of last update 3.45

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The Internet as an alternative distribution and communication channel for SMEs producing quality agro-food products

Companies show the main brands commer-

cialised in 91.95% of the websites. This is es-

sential because the consumers lack information

and there is a large range of brands in the mar-

ket. In this respect, such is the lack of informa-

tion that consumers sometimes buy a brand

without knowing that it is produced under an

Appellation of Origin, or, even more damaging,

do not buy a particular brand because they

think that it is not covered by a quality label. At

other times consumers mistake a particular

brand for an Appellation of Origin. On the oth-

er hand, when a consumer fails to link a brand

to a speciﬁc company, the company’s prestige

and experience become irrelevant in the pur-

chase decision.

Only seven websites show the production

sold. Such information would help increase or

support the buyer’s conﬁdence in purchasing the

company’s products.

Information on production process

About 75% of the websites analysed provide in-

formation on the product types most sold by

the company. More important is information

about raw materials – one of the bases on which

these products’ differential quality is sustained.

Thus, 74.71% of the websites report the raw

materials used in making the products commer-

cialised by the ﬁrms. Ideally, of course, this

would be 100%.

Another pillar on which quality certiﬁcation

is based is the production process, which should

also be shown or indicated on company web-

sites; this was present on a high percentage of

the websites consulted (75.86%). However, this

emphasis drops when offering other highly use-

ful information, such as the area the product is

produced. This is a decisive fact for the buyer

when choosing between different brands and/or

PAOs or PGIs, as the conditions of the geograph-

ic area contribute to the quality of the product

made there. Moreover, company websites

should detail local weather conditions and the

orography where products are made. These con-

tribute to the quality of the raw materials, and

hence are a potential factor for consumer conﬁ-

dence in the quality of products. Less than a

quarter of the websites evaluated record that in-

formation.

Another key factor of consumer conﬁdence

concerns the quality control systems put in place

by the company, which only 21.84% of the web-

sites mention. Composition of the products is

another decisive aspect, of major importance to

the buyer. Only 66.67% of these companies’

websites present this information. Approxima-

tely half the websites describe the technology

used.

Finally, consumers value highly recommen-

dations on how to consume the product. This

improves the attractiveness of these websites

and loyalty to them, creating a means of lasting

contact with present and potential consumers.

Such advice also increases situations in which

consumption may take place –a highly impor-

tant aim for such products. Despite all this, only

49.43% of the websites analysed feature such

recommendations. (See Table 4 - Figure 2)

Information on product

On 97.70% of the websites, product catalogues

or other presentation methods provide funda-

mental information on the offer. Furthermore,

images, which boost product memory and recog-

nition, appear on 93.10% of the websites. That

percentage drops for product labels. Consumers

value this feature, not only for the information it

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contains (which can in fact be provided in other

areas of the website) but also for the image of the

ﬁrm that it transmits.

Information on sale

The websites analysed do not usually display

product price, since these websites are a medi-

um of communication more than for making

sales. Thus, only 12.64% of the websites provide

this information, with 28.74% permitting on-

line purchasing.

Sales are also hindered by not clearly specify-

ing the payment methods available, nor provid-

ing mechanisms to guarantee payment security.

Thus, 13.79% of the websites do not provide

information about payment methods. When the

method is mentioned, the most common op-

tions are transfers, payment on delivery, and

credit card. Only ﬁve of the websites analysed

try to avoid the payment insecurity barrier to

e-commerce by providing information about

their security mechanisms.

Another obstacle to electronic sales lies in the

lack of information on the terms of delivery and

other services, only six of the websites consulted

providing such information. Finally, the lack of

purchasing suggestions concerning price, dis-

counts or offers limits the potential of this chan-

nel as an immediate means of sale. Thus, just

Table 5 · Information on product

Frequency

Products or catalogue 97.70

Image of product 93.10

Label 47.13

Orography

Weather

Recommend.

Quality cont.

Composition

Techn.

Area

Process

Raw. mat

Product

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Frequency

Most commercialised product type 75.86

Raw materials 74.71

Production process 75.86

Production area 68.97

Technology used 50.57

Composition 66.67

Quality control systems 21.84

Recommendations on how to

consume product, recipes …

49.43

Weather information 22.99

Description of orography 20.69

Table 4 · Figuere 2 · Information on production process

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The Internet as an alternative distribution and communication channel for SMEs producing quality agro-food products

Discounts

Suggestions

Price sum

Terms

Telephone

Physical

Establishment

Payment sec.

Electronic

Price

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Frequency

Price of products 12.64

Electronic sale 28.74

Payment security 5.75

Establishment for physical sale 17.24

Refer to physical establishments 17.24

Sale by telephone or e-mail 26.44

Terms of delivery and other services 6.9

Provide price of products marked 12.64

Shopping suggestions 3.45

Discounts and oers 10.34

Figure 4 · Table 6 · Information on sale

10.34% of the websites have offers, and only

three mention any shopping suggestions.

Just over a quarter of the websites consulted

offer the option of purchasing by telephone or by

e-mail. Firms possess an establishment for the

physical sale of their products in 17.24% of cases,

and the websites refer visitors to these stores.

Communication

Most of the websites consulted provide a brief

reference to the history of the company (74.71%)

and contact details: post (95.40%), e-mail

(97.70%) and telephone (96.55%). Information

on company export activity appears on 11.49%

of the websites consulted. However, corporate

awards and mentions only appear on 27.59%.

Another corporate-image-enhancing feature

is information on the organisation of visits and

tastings, although despite these activities, the

ﬁrms offer very little information about them

either before, during or after such events. Nor

do websites communicate ﬁrms’ activities in the

area of sponsorship and other public relations

actions. Only one website uses product endors-

ers. This would undoubtedly contribute to im-

proving the corporate image, as well as buyers’

conﬁdence in the product.

Other information is equally rare, although it

would be very useful to attract attention to a par-

ticular page and hence attract potential buyers.

Thus, presentation of or links to news in the

world of wine, cheese, and so on, would con-

tribute to positioning the website as an interes-

ting communications medium for consumers,

improving their receptiveness to the information

appearing on it. Other options that would also

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help improve the image and strengthen buyer

loyalty to this medium would be the possibility

of joining clubs or forums, or the organisation of

competitions, which are present in just four

websites in the former case, and one in the latter.

In parallel to this, information on gastronomy

and tourism would increase the attractiveness of

these websites. Despite this, tourism informa-

tion is available on only 18.39% of the websites,

and gastronomic information on 10.34%. A total

of ten websites mention health-related aspects of

consumption of these products. Finally, 20.69%

of the websites consulted have a press dossier,

and only two offer to send consumers cata-

logues. (See Table 7·Figure 5)

Conclusion

The Internet provides a wide range of opportu-

nities for small and medium-sized enterprises,

although few SMEs use this medium to its opti-

mum advantage. Of the 259 companies con-

sulted in the agro-food sector in Castile and

Leon that commercialise quality products, only

33% have active websites, and these vary in

terms of their quality of content, development

and functionality.

These sites are well or moderately well devel-

oped in most cases, although the type of infor-

mation that each website offers varies consid-

erably. The ﬁrms use their websites mainly to

communicate with the consumer. The results in-

dicate the general need for the ﬁrms to strength-

en the interactivity of their websites, as well as to

exploit their potential as a sales channel, im-

proving the transactional levels and relation-

ships with the consumer.

In general, the interfaces of the websites ana-

lysed obtain an adequate valuation, as does the

usability of the siteMoreover, and as in the case

of other consumer touch points, websites trans-

mit a corporate image, so information such as

awards or mentions obtained, organisation of

visits, tasting of wines or edible products, as well

as other actions such as sponsorship and com-

munication concerning endorsements, would

help maintain or improve the position and im-

age of the company.

Table 7 · Communication

Frequency

History of company 74.71

Post 95.40

E-mail 97.70

Telephone 96.55

Information on exports 11.49

Site visits to company 8.05

Tasting wine and edible products 5.75

Gastronomy 10.34

Tourism 18.39

Health 11.49

World of wine/cheese… 20.69

Club or forums 4.60

Competitions 1.15

Catalogues 2.30

Press dossier 20.69

Annual accounts 0.00

Other company actions 13.79

Endorsements 1.15

Awards and mentions 27.59

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The Internet as an alternative distribution and communication channel for SMEs producing quality agro-food products

In parallel, the content and actual develop-

ment of the website must aim to consolidate it as

a lasting means of communication, generating a

long-term relationship with present and poten-

tial purchasers. Thus, companies should set up

clubs or discussion groups, and offer news about

Awards

Endorsments

Actions

Annual accounts

Press dossier

Catalogues

Competitios

Clubs

News

Health

Tourism

Gastronomy

Tasting

Visits

Exports

Telephone

e-mail

Post

History

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Figure 5 · Communication

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quality agro-food products. This would help

keep customers coming back to their websites.

Finally, the ﬁrms have made little effort at

selling over the internet, this being mainly due

to logistic problems. Firms should aim their ef-

forts at establishing this as a complementary

channel, not as a substitute to selling via their

own establishments or specialised stores.

As future lines of research, the authors are

expanding their analysis of the websites of

agro-food SMEs to other regions of Spain, in

order to gain a global perspective on Internet

use among these ﬁrms, as well as to identify

any inter-regional differences. After this anal-

ysis, the aim will be to compare the position-

ing of Spanish agro-food SMEs with those

from other countries in relation to whether

they use the Internet in their marketing strat-

egies or not, as well as how much they use the

medium.

aDResearch_No3.indb 62 04/01/11 9:12

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