Internet Marketing is a phrase with broad meaning, which is not surprising because it relates to almost all aspects of planning, building, and managing a Web site. We define Internet Marketing as follows:
Internet Marketing is a set of activities that enable the acquisition of targeted Web traffic and the conversion of Web visitors.
There are many methods, both online and off, that can be used to bring Web visitors to a site. Common online techniques are:
Of course, any advertising medium can be used to increase the awareness of a Web site.
Acquisition, when approached in a proper Internet Marketing manner, focuses more on the quality of the traffic (how well targeted the visitors are) than on the quantity, so that visitors are more likely to convert. If you spend money on acquiring traffic, but have no idea how well your site converts visitors, then there’s a good chance you’ve thrown money away.
Conversion
Every Web site has - or should have - clearly defined goals (and you’ll hear about it in every Web developer’s sales pitch). At the most basic level, Web sites are classified1 in these categories:
- Online Commerce - sites that sell products, services, or information
- Advertising - sites that attract visitors with content, enticing some to respond to advertising
- Lead Generation - sites that present information about a product or business with the intent to identify and gather contact information from qualified prospects
- Customer Support - sites that help visitors answer question s about a product or service
Visitor conversion occurs when one of the site’s key actions is taken, thus delivering a purchase, an ad click, a lead, or a problem solved (the site’s "goal" is achieved). Unfortunately, many sites are little more than online brochures, and not designed with conversion in mind. A site design that maps Web site goals to key calls-to-action is more likely to produce satisfactory results.
The Job of the Internet Marketer
So the Internet Marketer’s task is to ensure flow of well-targeted visitors who feed a high-conversion site. The Internet Marketer also develops measurement processes and uses analytics tools to help evaluate the results of the strategy in order to deliver continuously improving return on investment (ROI).
Related Links
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Other Web Sites
- ClickZ - the self-proclaimed, "largest resource of interactive marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion, research, and reference in the world"
