e-CRM in SMEs: an exploratory study in Northern Ireland Paul Harrigan, Elaine Ramsey and Patrick Ibbotson University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK Abstract Purpose – Relationship marketing principles have seldom been applied to the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). The purpose of this paper is to develop what is a striking link by investigating the role of internet technologies in the customer relationship management of SMEs based in Northern Ireland (NI). Design/methodology/approach – This study took an exploratory outlook and a quantitative approach to data collection was adopted. A self-completion questionnaire was distributed by post to a sample of 300 SMEs in NI. A response rate of 18.6 per cent was obtained. Findings – The findings of this study illustrate that SMEs are implementing fundamental electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) practices and reaping the benefits from internationalisation. Challenges are few, but centre on a preference for face-to-face relationships and a lack of government support. Research limitations/implications – It is hoped that this exploratory research has laid the foundation for further examination of e-CRM in the SME context. Future studies should be able to replicate the process in other countries and on a larger scale. The potential also exists for in-depth qualitative research. Practical implications – The paper concludes that e-CRM may have to move on to a more strategic and integrated level if SMEs in NI are to compete, both locally and globally. Originality/value – This exploratory research has shed some light on the marginalised subject of e-CRM in SMEs. For SMEs operating in a peripheral economy such as NI the benefits to be gained from e-CRM are lucrative. Keywords Customer relations, Small to medium-sized enterprises, Internet, Communication technologies, Northern Ireland Paper type Research paper Introduction The relationship marketing paradigm calls for business organisations to see their customers and other stakeholders as partners, to form long-term relationships with them and to reap the ensuing benefits of trust, loyalty and increased profitability (Hunt and Morgan, 1994). Many authors have justified the relational approach to marketing (Gronroos, 2004; Gummesson, 2004), but few have applied relationship marketing principles to the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). SMEs operate with a strong focus on personal relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, and other stakeholders (Carson et al., 1995; McGowan and Durkin, 2002). Therefore, those who have researched in this area find the lack of research bizarre as the links between relationship marketing and entrepreneurship are striking (Zontanos and Anderson, 2004). This paper focuses on the management of the customer relationship by SMEs, drawing on the customer relationship management (CRM) literature. The important element to the research is the role played by internet technologies in CRM. Internet technologies include any web tools that support business processes, which can range The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-4503.htm e-CRM in SMEs 385 Received April 2007 Revised January 2008 Accepted February 2008 Marketing Intelligence & Planning Vol. 26 No. 4, 2008 pp. 385-404 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0263-4503 DOI 10.1108/02634500810879296