Businesses throughout the Highlands and Islands are to be helped to make the most of the internet through a series of advanced courses being organised by development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

The new courses are being targeted at businesses, in any sector of the economy, who already have a web presence but who may not be fully capitalising on that investment.

Entitled "E-commerce, making it work" the courses will be very practical: looking at companies' websites; how they are servicing those sites; what they may have forgotten to do; and how they can take their web presence forward.

The courses, which will run throughout the HIE area over the next few months, are being organised by HIE's e-commerce adviser Maarten de Vries. He said: "As soon as some businesses establish a website they feel they have 'made it'. But they are setting their sights too low - with this course we intend to show business people how to take things to the next level, to get the best possible return from their website.

"As more and more people trade online there is a huge market waiting to be tapped. Businesses in the Highlands and Islands could be taking advantage of this, and we would like to help them do so."

This course builds on the intermediate training provided under HIE's "Internet - making it work" course. These are still being held in some Local Enterprise Company areas, allowing people to choose the most appropriate level of training for their own circumstances.

Maarten de Vries continued: "Getting the best out of the internet, like anything else in business, is about proper planning. This e-commerce course will give some examples of the tools available and the steps that need to be considered before getting into online trading."

Dr Ken MacTaggart, HIE's head of knowledge, information and telecommunications added: "HIE is committed to extending the spread of the knowledge economy in the Highlands and Islands, and e-commerce is a vital part of this. Many more of our companies must start to trade on-line if we are to compete successfully. Our prosperity as a region will depend to a large extent on how quickly we embrace the new economy in the global marketplace."

The first "E-commerce - making it work" course is being held in the offices of Western Isles Enterprise (WIE), Stornoway on Wednesday 13th December. This will also be open to businesses in the Uists via a video-conferencing link with WIE's office in Benbecula.

One example of a business which has recently adopted the e-commerce approach and enjoyed some success is Hebridean Cottage (www.hebrideancottage.co.uk) who sell a range of island crafts, music, art and literature through the internet.

Although the company have only been online for eight months, they have already won a substantial number of orders with their website which has been developed by local company Eolas Ltd.

Iain MacKillop, who owns and runs Hebridean Cottage with his brother Norman, said: "Taking the plunge onto the internet was a bit daunting, but it has paid off. We have received hundred of pounds worth of orders, with goods from the area going to customers all over the world. The internet is no 'quick-fix', or easy option but it does provide new opportunities. I would suggest that more companies examine its potential to see how it might suit their business."

Ortak (www.ortak.co.uk), the Orkney based designers and manufacturers of fine jewellery and giftware are coming up to their third year of trading online. Managing director Alastair Gray said: "Our website is becoming a more significant part of our business each month - in the past year alone sales using this medium increased by 480 per cent on the previous year. We continuously make gradual improvements to get the very best out of the site and expect much more of our future business to come from this source in the future."