e-Marketing - Overview
by e-Marketing TeamIf You Build It, Will They Come?
"Setting up a website is like building a storefront on a dead-end street. If you want
any shoppers, you must give them a reason to come."
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson (Five 1)
After creating a well-designed web site, how can you effectively drive first-time traffic there? Marketers employ a variety of strategies to drive web traffic, including:
- Search engine strategies – pure search engine optimization, pay-per-click search engines, and keyword buys
- Linking strategies – link and banner exchange programs
- Viral strategies – electronic word of mouth, pass-it-on, and service-based viral marketing
- Traditional marketing strategies – traditional market communication channels, such as advertising and public relations, as well as the traditional marketing mix of product, promotions, distribution, and price
- E-mail strategies – free newsletters, discussion lists, and update publications
- Advertising strategies – banner ads, paid listings in portal sites, pay-per-click links and pay-per-sale advertising ads in targeted e-mail newsletters, and opt-in e-mail advertising
When developing a plan for increasing site traffic, marketers should carefully plan which strategies are appropriate for their site and budget. Once a plan has been developed, the key is to measure the results. The greatest benefit of marketing a web site is generating traffic and customers. A key benefit of online marketing is that measuring results is fast and easy. Traffic increase or decrease following a marketing action tells the marketer whether or not the strategy is working. Using traffic data and constantly tweaking the online marketing plan based on this analysis will lead to maximized site traffic. A marketer must consider the budget, purpose and content of the site, and the rate that traffic converts to desired actions, such as sales, when choosing how to incorporate online marketing strategies into their site.