The Irish times article http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/1001/1224280079478.html is interesting in that it does highlight what we have felt for a long time about the way businesses in Ireland prepare for business online.

We find it strange that the same companies that pay thousands of Euro for a stall at the Horse show in the RDS or at the ploughing championships will not invest time or money into an ecommerce strategy.

What happens online is a little less tangible for some companies because it lacks the face to face contact that other marketing outlets can provide. This attitude needs to be seriously redressed. Having a professional online presence that has taken time to consider its target market will provide highly relevant sales leads. The article mentions the need to have international considerations addressed, language and currency options for instance. In the case of ecommerce there are an abundance of solutions to provide dynamic currency conversions on Websites. This allows the customer to pay in their own currency without the Website operator needing additional merchant accounts or technology.

www.screengrabecommerce.com