This study aims to validate the essential antecedents of brand image enhancement in the digital era, based on a schematic theory. This study involved 400 respondents from four capital cities in Java, Indonesia, which comprise Surabaya, Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta, based on a quota sampling technique. The findings indicate that the quality of websites and social media sites may have no direct effects on brand image; any effects are transmitted through a serial mediation of brand awareness and E-WOM. Explicitly, the effect of a website’s quality on brand image is fully mediated, while social media’s quality effect on brand image is partially mediated through brand awareness and E-WOM. This study extends the current literature related to SMEs’ brand image. Also, this study offers practical recommendations for several stakeholders interested in empowering SMEs, including the government, entrepreneurship-based universities, and the SMEs themselves, who are all seeking strategies to enhance brand image while utilizing digital platforms such as social media and websites.

中文翻译：

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在数字时代提升品牌形象：来自印度尼西亚中小企业 (SME) 的证据

本研究旨在基于图解理论验证数字时代品牌形象提升的必要前提。这项研究基于配额抽样技术，涉及来自印度尼西亚爪哇岛四个首府城市的 400 名受访者，这些城市包括泗水、雅加达、万隆和日惹。调查结果表明，网站和社交媒体网站的质量可能对品牌形象没有直接影响；任何影响都通过品牌知名度和 E-WOM 的一系列中介传递。明确地，网站质量对品牌形象的影响是完全中介的，而社交媒体对品牌形象的质量影响部分是通过品牌知名度和 E-WOM 中介的。本研究扩展了当前与中小企业品牌形象相关的文献。还，