E-marketing in Costa Rican export companies: Results from a field survey

We present the results of a field survey aimed at analyzing ICT adoption and use, particularly related to e-marketing, in Costa Rican export companies. The e-commerce readiness/intensity/impact model, developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), was adapted for this field survey. The results obtained show that, in general, the surveyed companies present low e-marketing readiness and intensity, with the exception of service companies and microenterprises. Furthermore, there is no evidence of a clear perceived positive ICT impact on the exports taking into account all companies, neither considering their sector or size. Nevertheless, large companies perceive a positive effect, which is consistent with a sustained increase in their export value. Based on the previous results, we discuss factors that might influence the use of e-marketing and present recommendations to increase its use in Costa Rican export companies. In addition, suggestions for further research are included.