BLOG SURF: Going digital

More than ever before, Pacific firms are moving online. Will this increase e-commerce? This online activity is particularly good news in 2016, as the Pacific has witnessed an 8.2% jump in tourism arrivals.

According to Pacific niche exporters, tourists constitute the majority of their overseas customers, often by visiting the seller’s website after they return home to seek out more information or re-order souvenirs.

To find out if Pacific websites are set up to respond to increased demand, we analyzed the online presence of 300 Samoan firms.

We assessed three issues: whether their websites were searchable, whether website performance was being tracked, and whether the right information was included on the websites.

This offers a glimpse into how small and medium sized enterprises – and particularly those in the Pacific with a unique dispersed geography - operate in the digital space.