When products and services are marketed via the World Wide Web, it is called “Internet marketing.” Internet marketing has opened doors like no other marketing before it. An entrepreneur has the power to capture a significantly large and diverse audience with the click of a mouse. Not only that but Internet marketing is growing in popularity because entrepreneurs now have the ability to interact and target consumers with increased sophistication. Internet marketing goes by several terms including eMarketing, Web marketing, online marketing, and iMarketing. All of these names refer to the same form of marketing.
Web marketing is an excellent resource that far surpasses traditional marketing efforts. Like all things, there are pros and cons to Internet marketing. A major disadvantage is the learning curve associated with Internet marketing. For those entrepreneurs who are not Internet savvy, it can take time to acclimate to this new form of advertising. On the flip side, Internet marketing can be inexpensive while still reaching a large audience. In addition, marketers can interact with consumers via the Web, a trait no other medium offers.
Anyone trying to sell something should entertain some form of Internet marketing plan. From search engine optimization to a traditional Web site, there are plenty of opportunities to spread your message via the Internet. An Internet marketing campaign can be simple or complex, the choice is up to you. What matters most is that the Internet is utilized to reach potential buyers who optimize their time on the Web. Failing to utilize the Internet essentially equals loss of potential profit.
There are several forms of Internet marketing. As preciously mentioned, SEO is one of those forms. Search engine optimization is an effective way to increase traffic to any given Web site. Here is how it works. When a consumer enters keywords into a search engine – such as Google – several Web sites are listed based on the keywords entered. In Internet marketing, entrepreneurs fill their Web sites with keywords specific to their consumers’ needs or interests. These keywords, in turn, are acknowledged by the search engine. The more SEO, the higher the site is ranked and the higher it appears on the search engine’s list.
Another common example of Internet marketing is Google adwords. Adwords is an advertising product sponsored by Google. The program is so successful it became Google’s main source of revenue and generated $21 billion in 2008 alone. Adwords comes in three forms pay-per-click (PPC), banner ads, and text ads. With the PPC, the marketer determines what words trigger the ads and how much they want to pay per click. With the text and banner ads – also called placement targeted advertisements – marketers select domain names, keywords, demographic preferences, and topics via a control panel. Based on this information, Google places ads within its network.
Finally, social media marketing is a popular form of Internet marketing that is very unique in approach. Through the interaction with online communities such as LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace, marketers generate exposure that parlays into sales. Social media marketing has two primary functions. First, it creates a way for customers to promote their favorite products and services. Secondly, consumers can submit and save links to products and links services such as Reddit, Digg, and Del.icio.us. In short, social media marketing is best defined as word of mouth marketing.
In all, Internet marketing is the new and improved form of marketing that boasts too many advantages to list in this article. In the past several years, marketers have watched as traditional marketing tactics have been replaced with online marketing. Internet marketing is not only affordable, but necessary. Without it, advertisers are missing out on potential buyers – a concept many of us cannot afford to do. There are several ways to market online. At the very least, you should have a Web site to establish an online presence.
For a ton of indepth training such as search engine optimization 2.0 and social media optimization, check out Raymond’s personal blog.
