Internet Role in Lithuania SMEs Internationalization

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of national economies and their growing internationalization. The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) has allowed SMEs to break different barriers, be they economic or regulatory, and to move towards more international positions of doing business. Considering the importance of ICT developments, particularly with regards to international marketing activities and the business opportunities they offer, still few researchers focus on the impact of ICT on international marketing and the internationalization issues it entails. This paper presents findings from a research project which focused upon the use of the Internet by SMEs in Lithuania. It investigates how the level of Internet use in SMEs is related to firm internationalization and Internet marketing activities. The analysis of main factors affecting successful use of ICT such as the role of the Internet in strategies of internationalization, the reduction of barriers through use of the Internet, the influence of the Internet on international marketing activities, and problems of using the Internet for internationalization.