Online Marketing Concept

Also known as internet marketing, web marketing or search engine marketing (SEM).

Online Marketing is a marketing strategy of promoting or advertising organizations, products or services using online media with the goal of increasing sales and profits. In the past, it only refers to digital media such as the wireless media, e-mail and the Internet by having a website or placing banner ads online. Nowadays, the term can mean a variety of things evolving into a broader mix of components and includes management of digital customer data and electronic customer management (ECRM) systems.Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including design, development, advertising, and sale.

Why Online Marketing?

1. It has proven to be cost-effective in distributing information to global market resulting in a growth for your business.
2. The number of internet users increases everyday, thus, more time and money are spent online by consumers.
3. People especially shoppers uses search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN and others) and directories to look and buy for products or services. The need of visibility and exposure of a site is important.
4. Customers trust in the safety of online shopping due to secure systems that fight against fraud.

Components of Internet Marketing:

1. Web Design and Development
   
   It is important how you appear online. Your website should speak who and what you are, what your products and services are and who your target markets are. It should starts with the right web design and implementation to attract customers, make them stay and revisit your site.


2. Search Engine Marketing
   
   Internet users uses search engines (both broad-based and vertical search engines) to search, inquire, shop and buy online. Having a website is not enough. You need to visibly expose to let them know you exist.
   
   SEM includes:
   
   • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
   • Pay per click (PPC)
   • Press Release
   • Submissions to Directories and Social Bookmarking sites
   • Media Optimization:
     
     • Blog marketing
     • Multivariate testing or optimization
     • Viral marketing (i.e. video clips, interactive Flash games, ebooks)
     • Forums
   
   
3. Email Marketing
   
   As the name implies, it is sending mails via emails to customers or potential customers. Sending letters to thousands of emails is cheaper than sending to thousands of postal addresses. Despite abusive spammers, still it is one of the powerful marketing tools.
   
   Different kinds of E-mail marketing online:
   
   • Direct Email
   • Newsletters
   • Advertisements from newsletters


4. Article Marketing
   
   It involves writing articles with topics related to your business and have it published online through syndicated article sites. It is important that links are maintained to boost web traffic and promote your products or services to a wide audience.


5. Banner Advertising / Web Banner
   
   A form of advertising on the World Wide Web created from an image (JPEG, GIF, PNG), Java Script program or multimedia object such as Silverlight, Shockwave or Flash, Java, utilizing animations, sounds or videos intended to attract traffic and directed to a website advertised once clicked by the user.


6. Digital Marketing
   
   It is practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. It is usually hosts through mobile phones, sms/mms, display banner ads and digital outdoor.


7. Classified Advertising
   
   A textually based advertising common in newspapers, online and other periodicals with little information such business name and contact info.