Differences in organizational web site design across cultures : A comparative study of US and Chinese industrial SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare organizational web site design attributes between US and Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The study uses 18 web site design variables identified by previous research. Findings – The results show that US and Chinese SME corporate web sites have both similarities and differences in terms of web site design attributes. The design differences are not much affected by the impacts of macro-economy and technology gaps. However, US and Chinese SMEs may differ in terms of their marketing practices and cultural orientations, and as a result, web site design attributes still remain significantly different. Originality/value – Marketing and cultural factors are found to be important determinants in SMEs’ organizational web site design across the two countries.