Online marketing refers to the marketing of products or services over the internet. Online marketing is known by many other names like internet marketing, web marketing, e-marketing, etc. The scope of online marketing is broad as it not only refers to marketing on the internet but it also includes the marketing done through e-mail and wireless media.
It is basically a computer based version of traditional marketing objectives that involve a product, price, packaging, promotion and place. Marketing is ultimately about propelling a product or service through the proper channels and online marketing using the internet as that channel.
TYPES OF ONLINE MARKETING
(1) Display Marketing: Display marketing can be called display advertising because this type of marketing is done by using the online banners or banner ads placed on a third party online website or blog. It is used to drive traffic to a company’s own website and increase product awareness among the customers.
(2) Search Engine Optimization (SEO): In online marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines through the ‘natural’ or ‘unpaid’ search result.
(3) Referral Marketing: Under online marketing, referral marketing is a method of promoting products or services to new customers through referrals, usually word of mouth.
(4) Content Marketing: Content marketing is also an important type of online marketing. Content marketing involves creating and freely sharing specific, expert content to help the community understand one or many subjects dealt with on a specific online site. It is a means to pull interested people or prospects into the online site trying to convert them into customers or free subscribers and customers into repeat buyers.
(5) Inbound Marketing: Inbound marketing is another type of online marketing which involves creating and sharing informative content as a means of transforming prospects into customers and customers into repeat buyers.
ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE MARKETING
(1) Inexpensive : Online marketing is less expensive. The cost involved in internet/online marketing is very less compared to other marketing strategies. The ratio of cost to reach the target audience is also less.
(2) Global Accessibility: Another main advantage of online marketing is global accessibility. It allows global marketing facility. Internet service is not only for local purpose but also it allows global accessibility
(3) Extremely Low Risk : The element of risk in online marketing is extremely low. There is no fear of damage, robbery, etc. for the customers as it is the responsibility of the businessman to deliver the goods or products to customers safety.
(4) Appealing to Consumers : The business through internet or web marketing is appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. The nature of medium allows consumers to research and purchase products and services conveniently.
(5) Easy Statistical Analysis : Online marketers also have the advantage of measuring statistics easily and inexpensively. Almost all aspects of online marketing campaign can be traced, measured and tested through the use of ad server.
(6) Increases Interactivity: Online marketing also increases interactivity between the users, consumers or viewers with different business firms. They can interact with business personnel through electronic mail and can have the information required.
(7) Online Payment : Web marketers can collect payment of their products or services through the internet. They do not have to go door to door for the collection of payment.
(8) Faster Response: Online marketing provides faster response to both the marketers and the users. It is not too much time consuming. Internet marketing is quick and immediate in its response.
DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE MARKETING
(1) Dependability on Technology : In online marketing, there is too much dependability on technology. A online marketer has to learn overwhelming knowledge and skills for doing marketing through internet. It is not an easy task for everyone to go for online marketing.
(2) Scams and Deception : One of the challenges that internet markets face, according to the general public, is that internet products are outright scams of promoted with deception making it difficult to know what one is buying. This is specially with the products that are supposed to train or aid internet marketers in making money.
(3) Competitive and Strenuous : Internet or web marketing is a competitive field where thousands of products with same brand name keep fighting for online visibility. So, getting good visibility and ranking for keyword is strenuous. Click here for Nature And Scope Of Marketing.
(4) High Maintenance Cost: Online marketing is costly because it includes cost of software, hardware peripherals, website designing, website maintenance and online distribution cost.
(5) Market Oriented Approach : Another disadvantage of online marketing is that the most of the business websites are developed with a marketing view not customer view. It may result lack of customer service and inquiry response and poor navigation.
(6) Security and Privacy Issues : Online marketing also has disadvantage from the point view of security and privacy issues. No all websites can provide full security to customer dealings.
(7) Lack of Live Interaction and Personal Feeling: Out of the total number of visitors to a business website, most of them prefer to make live interaction with the dealers when they buy. But there is not so in online marketing. Another negative feature of online marketing includes that we cannot smell, touch, operate and open the product personally before purchasing. In the end, we can say that online marketing has advantages as well as disadvantages also.
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