The impact of Internet use on business-to-business marketing - Examples from American and European companies

The Internet has been the favorable theme for numerous studies and reports, during the last decade. Yet, there is a lack of systematic empirical evidence regarding the marketing activities that are affected by the use of the Internet, and their consequent performance outcomes. In this article, we document the role of the Internet in business-to-business marketing and identify market-oriented activities that are affected by the use intensity of the inter-net. Using a sample of 130 industrial businesses,,ve found a substantial positive effect of the use of the Internet on sales management activities, market-oriented product management activities, and sales performance and efficiency. The results of this study also stress the central role of the salesforce in the successful implementation of the Internet marketing strategies within organizations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.