Internet Marketing Resources

What is internet marketing?

It is the use of on-line strategies that can help to promote, advertise and market brand products or services. The use of internet marketing encompasses a variety of techniques that include on-line PR, e-newsletters, viral marketing, PPC, banner advertisements and email campaigns. Internet marketing is an advanced way of marketing products by using the internet as a platform. For marketers, internet marketing has become an easy and beneficial method of promoting products and services, in a most cost-effective way.

What are the benefits of internet marketing?

Internet marketing campaigners deliver positive results toward company investments. Traditional advertising such as brochures, flyers, yellow pages etc. are necessary in marketing campaigns, but internet marketing campaigns can be interactive and dynamic methods of marketing. While it takes a certain budget to implement and develop the internet marketing campaign, it is worth the investment. It can be a very useful and cost-effective way of marketing products or services, more than the traditional ways of print. For instance, if an error was found on a coloured brochure that an organisation had ordered 40,000 copies of, and it had to be sent out beside an additional piece, such as a newspaper advertising campaign, aside from the cost it would take to reprint the 40,000 pieces, it is highly unlikely that the deadline would be met. If the same brochure was distributed as part of an internet marketing campaign, then the changes could be made instantly and with virtually no extra costs, and then sent out instantly. Although internet marketing cannot replace the traditional forms of marketing and advertising, it can certainly enhance it. Internet marketing should serve an important element to any company’s marketing strategy. Another important benefit of internet marketing is that the consumer and the seller both benefit. The consumer receives a product at a much lower cost and the seller lowers their overall marketing costs by distributing their information and media to global audiences.

So why invest in an internet marketing campaign?

Accessibility – the internet is huge and contains the technology that can allow the distribution of information to be sent to a wide number of people very quickly.
Agility – customers have the ability to respond efficiently and quickly to external forces and marketing opportunities.
Measurability – it can be easily measured by its accountability.
Profitability – it can create positive returns on investment or ROI.
Reachability – it has the ability to reach local and global customers.
Interactivity – it can engage clients and customers on an individual basis.

Is paid inclusion necessary with internet marketing?

That depends on what type of website an organisation has. It is not necessary for most websites but the use of paid inclusion can speed up the index of a website. It can take from around two to eight weeks to find, update and index a site with the use of a search engine. When using paid inclusion, it is virtually guaranteed by a provider that search engine spiders will index the website and include it within the listings, anywhere between 48-72 hours after purchase. If a website contains rapidly changing content, the use of paid inclusion can be a very important aspect to consider because it allows the site to be refreshed automatically in the index, with the updated content.

How is internet marketing different from other forms of marketing?

Internet marketing is a way of tying both the technical and creative aspects as one. It includes the sales, design, advertising and development and does not contain limitations to banner advertisements or the promotion and building of a website. To design an internet marketing campaign requires a comprehensive strategy which synergises an organisation’s business model and sales goals with its appearance and website function. Internet marketing is performed to focus on target marketing by using the proper choices of design, media and advertising. It is also important to the placement of media, along with various stages of the customer engagement cycle through SEO or search engine optimisation, SEM or search engine marketing, email and web 2.0 strategies and banner advertisements on specific websites.

Does a company need to use customer testimonials?

The customer testimonials are the necessary key to creating business relationships, confidence and establishing trust. When customer testimonials are used on a website or a part of an internet marketing strategy, the potential customers can be reassured and are more likely to purchase the products or services they are viewing. By reading testimonials, customers can recommend a company and tell others that they are satisfied with a service or product.

What processes do internet marketing organisations use to create profitable marketing campaigns?

A lot of organisations will work differently. An internet marketing company should put the necessary components in place to manage, implement and develop their client’s internet marketing campaigns to ensure that they receive a positive outcome. They should utilise the internet and identify the marketing opportunities that benefit their client’s potential customers.

What is traffic in internet marketing business?

With internet marketing, the traffic is how many visitors have visited a website in a set period of time. The more traffic that is received to a website the better. If advertisement programmes such as Google Adsense are used, a company will receive money if somebody clicks on one of their advertisements and is taken to the site. The positive traffic to the site would give a higher probability that the advertisements would be clicked.

What is opt-in?

Permission marketing or opt-in basically means that clients consent to receiving regular content from a company. They may have signed up on the distribution list or specifically opted themselves in, but if ever they should wish to leave the list they can opt-out at any time. Using opt-in is an effective form of internet marketing.

What is an email newsletter?

Email newsletters are distributed via internet and are an effective way to communicate information to customers about product updates, promotions, company offerings and much more. It can be a valuable dialogue between current customers or prospective clients and a company. They can be most effective when used with opt-in marketing, which are consistent and timely forms of internet marketing.