SMEs and Internet Security

Ineffective website security will open the door to computer and network attacks which results in damage to the technical and information assets, the consequences of all of that will be the lost of customer confidence and damaged reputation and credibility. Furthermore, attacks can put any company out of business, especially where the website is the sole source of the revenue.

SMEs have to protect all of their transactions with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, using digital signatures, securing web servers and using an authentication system. They also have to protect their customer’s information with a privacy policy.



The following laws and acts oblige SMEs to securely keep any data about their customers from being damaged, lost or being unlawfully processed:

1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 12.


2. European Convention on Human Rights Article 8.


3. Data Protection Act 1984 and Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.


4. the computer misuse act, 1990, which introduced three new criminal offences and they are:




1. Unauthorised access to computer material, which described as simple hacking that is using a computer without permission


2. Unauthorised access to computer material with the intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences.


3. Unauthorised modification of computer material.

SMEs Marketing Strategy

SMEs marketing strategies, methods and technique should be based on AIDA,

1. They have to attract the Attention of the customers in the first place to their products and services.


2. They have to increase the customer Interest by demonstrating the benefits and advantages of their products and services.


3. They have to convince the customers that they want and Desire their product and service and that it will suit their needs.


4. They have to guide customers to take Action and purchase their products.

Nevertheless SMEs should also give great attention to the followings:

1. Product variety is a key issue that determines a potential customer’s willingness to use their site, therefore for customers to regularly use their site; they must provide differentiated product range and build long term relationships.


2. Be destination site, by appearing to offer a complete service, rather than simply being the cheapest or most convenient source for a particular product.


3. Customisation and bundling which means offering a combination of products or services that the individual consumer needs at attractive prices.


4. Provide relevant content and recommendations to their customers based on individual user preferences, previous purchases and purchases of customers with similar interests. SMEs should be able to obtain this information implicitly, by tracking customer buying or usage habits, or explicitly, by gathering information through customer forms or questionnaires.


5. Aggressive advertising campaign to make their potential customers aware of their products and services, furthermore convince and persuade their potential target customers to buy their products and services.


6. Customer retention by motivating and encouraging their customers to remain loyal to them and their products and services through:




• Loyalty programs, to build their loyalty and build share of mind in a crowded marketplace.


• An excellent customer service and regular communication with site users either through newsletters or more personalised messages.




7. Give their great attentions to customer’s feedback and the ability to respond rapidly to customers concerns. SMEs should invest in Live Text Chat system that enables customers to interact by text with their customer service representative.

Furthermore SMEs must make their potential customers aware of their web site in the first place, therefore the website should be submitted to all the search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, furthermore a huge effort should be taken to improve the ranking of the website in search engine listings (search engine optimization), also advertisements on search engines (pay-per-click and paid inclusion listings). In addition to advertisements on search engines their site should be advertised with websites that have similar customer demographics. Moreover SMEs should be advertising in magazines and newspapers Offline advertising.