What is Internet Marketing?

Internet marketing in its simplest definition is the marketing of goods and services via the internet. Because of the explosive growth of the internet as a medium, the definition of internet marketing has expanded to include not just web pages but also email, mobile and search engine marketing and optimization.

A good internet marketer is someone who is not only creative with designing great marketing campaigns but also technically savvy and able to leverage the full range of marketing capabilities available on the internet today. A good internet marketer will also be ethical and employ internet marketing fundamentals for the purpose of adding value to customers. He or she will also be budget conscious and adept at finding free and low-cost ways to market a company’s products and services.

Company’s have found that internet marketing, whether done exclusively or in addition to traditional marketing, comes at a significant cost advantage and wide reach. In addition, many customers expect a company to have an internet presence that will benefit them in some way such as through promotions and dissemination of useful information. These two facts have cemented the importance of internet marketing to any company serious about being relevant in the 21st century.

One of the huge benefits of internet marketing is the speed at which a campaign can be created, implemented and results analyzed for action. Web site statistics can be analyzed on a daily basis to determine which campaigns are more impactful and should be expanded while other campaigns can be dropped cold after very little investment. Analytics reveal to internet marketers who their visitors are, what content most interests them and leads to conversions.

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Customers First, Internet Marketing Second

Before developing an internet marketing strategy, an entrepreneur must ask himself, “Who are my customers?” Knowing who your customers are will help you develop appropriate campaigns down the road. When I refer to your customers I mean all of them: the customers you have, the customers you’ve had in the past and the future customers you are targeting.

If you are reading this before starting your business you are in luck because I think it is a lot better to identify your target audience and then find a product or service that meets their needs than to have already developed a product and later find out how difficult it is to find buyers for it. Think of a group of people you are affiliated with and what kinds of needs or wants they have that you are passionate about providing whether it is a product or a service. Consider surveying a sample of folks to validate your prediction of their level of interest in your ideas.

If you already have an established business and a customer base to draw from, that’s a great starting point. Reach out to your customers and find out how else you can be of service to them or what other products they would like you to provide.

Over time, you might see some common trends your customers exhibit that help you know whether you are doing a good job meeting their needs. For example, leads, sales, information requests and membership signups. If customers are not buying a product, consider discontinuing it. If a product is selling like hotcakes, you are meeting a lot of needs.

You may notice a few different, distinct types of customers doing business with you. It is perfectly normal to have a few customer groups. For example, the buyers of computers might be broken into the following categories: home users, businesses and government. Consider marketing to them differently because they are likely to have different needs of you. You probably don’t need a fancy Customer Relationship Management (CRM) package to track your customers. Consider starting with a simple spreadsheet and expand to something more expensive if and when it is really justified for your business.

Knowing who your customers are is crucial for being able to give them what they want and need. Maybe they just need information initially. Perhaps they need a product or service that you can supply to them. The key is to give your customers what they want and make sure they have the best experience ever when interacting with you whether online or offline, beginning of the sale or after the fact. You will feel great, your customers will feel great and you just might be entrusted to help them with other needs in the future. In addition, your customer may reward you with referrals.

After you have confidently identified your customers, their needs and how you can fill them, you will be ready to develop a successful internet marketing strategy.

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