Online marketing permits businesses to migrate away from the traditional marketing method of delivering broad targeting with a uniform message. With the average U.S. Internet user spending 33 hours a month surfing the web at home, and another 80 a month at work – implementing an online marketing strategy can prove to be a wise choice.
Employing an online direct marketing model enables businesses to more efficiently and effectively personalize and customize their offerings, extend their reach to a broader audience, and provide around-the-clock access to product and information to customers.
Since the Internet has forever altered customers’ concept of speed, price, convenience, service, and information – it has given marketers new avenues and tools with which they can use to build value and create relationship with customers. Successful businesses now use a mix of web site, e-mails, newsletters, and an online product catalog to reach new customers, serve existing ones more effectively, and gain better pricing and buying efficiencies.
The eMarketer Daily newsletter on July 17, 2009, reported results from a Ruder Finn survey (of June 29, 2009) which revealed these reasons why US Internet users go online:
• Educate self – 96%
• Connect with others – 92%
• Research – 89%
• Share – 86%
• Keep informed – 79%
• Discuss – 76%
• Be part of a community – 72%
• Make a purchase – 33%
• Comparison shop – 28%
This and other research reminds us that the Internet is indeed the information super-highway. With more than 90% of users wanting to get informed and make connections the Internet is a tool that allows businesses to reach out and do that, and in turn touch customers in a way that never existed before. Businesses can now communicate and inform customers rather than merely sending out broad marketing and advertising materials to them.
By acknowledging and implementing the new media tools such as; e-mail marketing, and social networking along with bookmarking sites, including; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, and Delicious we blend marketing with communication – which allows businesses to develop and foster closer and stronger connections with customers.