eMarketingThink

Contents of the Web site

2006-04-20T16:32:33Z

To define contents adapted to our Web site and the objectives that we persecuted with the strategy of marketing in Internet is another essential scope that we must develop. One is not to fill the Web of contents to the maximum, but to equip it with which is necessary to obtain what we looked for.

]]> In general, although it will depend much on the type of company, the sector and other variables, we can define contents in the following scopes: Ø corporative Contents on our company: all that information which it is excellent so that the visitor who does not know us can obtain a good image and the perception that interests to us to transmit of our business Ø Contained on products and services of the company, exposed of the way that is more useful for our potential perhaps client (he would be interesting to analyze it by means of a study that obtains the data of the users) Ø Contained complementary which they can be of paral value our profile of visitor. In this case, the idea is "to hook" the visitor so that it does not need to continue sailing to find that information that needs and that is related to our products and services. Ø Finally, depending on the cases, other the legal contents that facilitate the location of the company, comfortableness at the time of buying (information on payment systems...), aspects, etc. On the other hand, we will have to establish a plan of update of those contents that are not atemporales so that the Web it does not give a desactualización image.

Technology and marketing

2006-04-20T16:30:45Z

In the last articles we have spoken of the technology necessary to develop strategies of electronic marketing. In general, one of the great problems that affect the Pime is to know and to understand what alternative technological is to their reach, as much to develop these strategies as to improve its enterprise process in general.

]]> Starting off of this base, it seems reasonable that the suppliers of these technologies (for example the suppliers of services of Internet - ISP -), that in many cases also are Pimes, must have as main objective of marketing to associate concrete technologies with concrete necessities, with a clear objective: that those initiated people cannot see the benefits of a certain product or service and how contributes something for the best daily operation of its business. Also it seems reasonable that the Web it would be a suitable place to transmit this message. Therefore I have felt the curiosity to visit some of the places Web of ISPs and to analyze the marketing approach that they give. Lamentably, the conclusion is not good. Most, not to say all, of the visited sites, has an approach clearly directed to product and technology, not to necessities of the potential clients. If some small or medium desconocedor industralist of the technology enters these sites, insurance that when it leaves will not have the sensation to be losing no opportunity not to adopt, already, some of products of these companies. Pity, a lost occasion.

Design of web site

2006-04-20T16:28:36Z

The technological plan must also include all those aspects of technology and programming that they have to do with the graphical design of the Web site.

]]> By my experience, most of designers more outposts initially incline to use those technological tools and than they allow very sophisticated designs them and, to say it somehow "to be brilliant". Even so, since already we have commented in some previous article, the design of the Web site of a company must help to obtain concrete strategic targets of business and not to gain prizes of graphical design. Good way to assure us that very little people will enter the Web site of our company is to design it with last technologies and that is essential that the visitor has últimísima version of the navigator or, even, to force it to install "plug-ins" to be able to visualize the Web. In addition, the use of some of these technologies of design our pages for the motors make hair nets search and, therefore, these do not index them and we lose one of the main sources of potential visitors. The conclusion of this reflection is that in the case of Web sites, with respect to the graphical design, in general the slogan is SIMPLICITY. This it is the true challenge of the designers: to obtain flat to Web differentials with a very simple design. Or it is that somebody thinks that the very simple design of sites like Google, Yahoo or Amazon nonaid to the raised strategic targets for these businesses.

Connectivity of the Web site

2006-04-20T16:26:49Z

The other aspect of the technology that we must plan suitably is the infrastructure of connectivity of our Web site. In this case we will have to consider different aspects how:

]]> Ø Security: it is a fundamental aspect, specially if through the Web site we gather personal data. Ø Reliability: the infrastructura must be trustworthy, since it must give to service to the users during the 24 hours the 365 days of the year. Ø Scalability: the ignorance of the rate to that we can grow us must make decide on escalables systems that allow to be adapting the necessities and the investments to the real growth. Ø Speed of bandwidth access and: he is basic that the users can quickly sail by our Web site. This depends on several factors, some of them outside our reach, like the type of connection of the user. Even so, yes that we can affect the improvement of this speed in two scopes: with bandwidth adapted to the activity of our Web site and by means of a design of the site that does not slow down navigation. On the other hand, the possibilities that we must to establish this connectivity are: Ø own Equipment of hardware and in our facilities Ø own Equipment of hardware in the intalaciones of ISP (Housing) Ø Equipment of hardware of the exclusive ISP but for our company (dedicated Hosting) Ø Equipment of hardware of the shared ISP (hosting). Like always, all has advantages and disadvantages, and based on the reach of our strategy of marketing in Internet it will interest to us to decide on one or another option.

Technological Platform

2006-04-20T16:22:22Z

We said in artíulo previous that the first point of the technological plan that there are to analyze and to decide is the one that makes reference to the technological platform that will sustain to our Web site, and the functionalities derived from the strategy of electronic marketing which we have designed.

]]> Like always, we have different alternatives, all with advantages and disadvantages. The optimal solution will depend on the concrete characteristics of the company, the functionalities that we want to develop, the degree of foreseeable growth and, obvious, of the resources available, as much at financial level as human. In general, we counted on the following conceptual alternatives: Ø Escoger the best product of each category (data bases, software of management, etc.) and to customized integrate them in a platform Ø Optar by a unique solution, choosing the product of a manufacturing sun that incorporates solutions for each product category Ø Utilizar solutions or technological platforms in regime d'ASP, that is to say, in subhiring regime Ø Recurrir to supported technological platforms in free software and, according to the necessities, to make own developments or to incorporate concrete products. Each one of these alternative ones tolerates great differences at functionality level, cost of implantation and maintenance, scalability, or level of development difficulty, that will have to analyze with much depth, with the objective to decide on the solution that is optimal to means and length to us term

Technological Plan

2006-04-20T16:20:50Z

Once already we have defined what type of strategy of marketing in Internet we will develop and the concrete aspects that we have been analyzing in diverse articles, is hour to begin to think, now yes, in the technological tools that will allow to take us to the practice what we have designed.

]]> With this objective, it is necessary to make a technological Plan that will contemplate all the aspects related to the technical slope. In him we will shape the decisions that we must take respect to the future necessities with respect to the following points: Ø Platform of software that will sustain to our Web site and all the functionalities that from her is derived, as much towards the outside as to the interior of the company. Ø necessary Equipment of hardware. Ø Infrastructure of conectivda, as much if she is own as traverse of a supplier of services Internet (another one of the questions that we must decide) Ø Diseño and usabilitat of the Web and the technological aspects related to these areas. All of them it is necessary to face them assuming that the technology is only the means that must allow to obtain the strategic aims us and it does not have importance by she herself. Even so, this analysis normally cannot be done starting off of zero, since in the case of a already existing company, one of basic the previous aspects that we will have to consider before developing the plan, is to analyze if and how the technology adapts that we are using at the moment to our objectives of future. In next articles we will analyze all these points.

Internet email marketing

2006-04-20T16:16:56Z

Another possibility of promoting our company and its products is using internet email marketing.

]]> Internet email marketing campaigns have become a very effective way of communication with clients and prospects, being much more effective than traditional physical mailings.

Nevertheless, we have to be very careful about the way we implement our Internet email marketing campaigns. The net i s full of spammers who bomb our email with unsolicited bulk email which has led the consumers to a bad image of this type of campaigns. On the other hand, anti-spam software makes it very difficult for us that a message is received by our targets, if they have not deactivated the filter for our specific email address.

Therefore, the first thing we have to do is complying with legal dispositions in force regarding the internet email marketing. This becomes a little complex if our business is addressed to different countries, as laws may differ a lot (for instance, European Union laws on these issues are far more restrictive than USA). But complying with law is necessary, but not enough.

We must also fulfill a series of "ethical" or moral norms in order to maintain a good reputation of our company among our potential clients. Otherwise, these type of email campaign would cause a negative effect.

So, if we want an internet email marketing campaign to be effective and not to cause rejection, a first step is using a data base of users who have given their explicit permission to receive information. It is even better if the permission is been given specifically to our company, that is to say, that we have an own data base. Another aspect is that the information we send to them has some value to them, beyond the explicit advertising of our products or services. Finally, we have to plan very carefully the frequency of the communications. Some good internet email campaigns cause fatigue to the users, due to their too frequent messages.

Internet advertising

2006-04-20T16:11:31Z

Following with the different alternatives to promote our Web between the potential users, one of the possibilities is the development of advertising campaigns online.

]]> It is necessary to say that, at the moment and in spite of the years that do that Internet has begun to be daily in our lives, has still not been suitable the advertising language for this means, and this we must consider it at the time of planning our campaigns. Until now, the different advertising formats (banners, pop-ups, pop-unders, etc) are not more than an adaptation to Internet of the traditional advertising forms in other average like television and medos written. By tra it divides to the email marketing or the obtaining of requests of information of prospectos segmented through coupons also is an adaptation to Internet of the formats of traditional direct marketing, although improved with the possibilities of segmentation and personalización that the means offer. At the moment, the most innovating form - and than it is working better of publicity in Internet is related to the possibility of campaigning to the motors search, that already we have commented in previous articles. The publicity in Internet has a great future, directly related to the every time greater use of this means. Even so, still it is necessary to find a language and advertising scheme suitable that contribute to added value so much to the users as to the advertising supports, advertisers and agencies. We still have a long way to cross.

Future of advertising

2006-04-20T16:08:54Z

Days ago I attended a conference on the future of the publicity in Internet. The ponente, directive stop of an important agency of interactive publicity, defended the vision of three great tendencies of future in the world of the publicity: change of habits of the consumers, convergence of devices or electronic devices and proactivity of the consumer.

]]> Change of habits, since several studies demonstrate the reduction of the television consumption, specially in the youngest generations, as opposed to other alternatives like Internet. Convergence of devices, since with the digitalization, as much television, personal computers as movable telephones will be devices that receive a same signal. And proactivdad of the consumer, since instead of hoping passively what we must see or listen, we will be able to choose our programming actively, the subjects in which we are interested in receiving information or the type of publicity that we want to receive. According to him, this would form a new advertising model totally different from a the existing one, that is based on the massive and indiscriminate communication. Even so, it seemed to me to glimpse that the model that, according to the exhibition, was outlined, is the model also massive, although individualized and, most outstanding, equally based on the publicity and the capacity to hit the consumer. My opinion is that the changes that come will be still deeper and, specially for the Pimes, the key of the success will be in a more relational model, is to say in the capacity to establish long term relations with the clients, more than in the initial impact.

Apperar in Sectorial Directories

2006-04-20T15:33:36Z

Following with the different possibilities of promoting itself in the network, today we will speak of other sites of Internet in which it can interest to us to have presence, since to them our objective public accedes and, therefore, from that site could be derived towards ours, if they find us.

]]> In Internet innumerable sectorial directories exist, sectorial vestibules, virtual communities and marketplaces (digital markets) in which our company can have presence. This presence can be paid or gratuitous, simply trying that it appears a connection to our page, thing that, additionally, it will provide to us, surely, a greater visibility in the motors search. On the other hand, also perhaps an advertising presence, but of this formula we will speak another day. A first which we must do at the time of implementing effective strategy of presence in this type of webs is to define what geographic markets interest to us. Once defined, we will analyze for each geographic market what sectorial, directory vestibules or virtual communities exist and we will value if they have sufficient traffic, and of the tipología of our public, to establish our interest in being present in them or no. Later we will value the conditions of this presence and will choose the most beneficial alternatives. In the case of the digital markets, places of interchange between companies, the analysis will have to be deeper, since in some cases can be a very interesting route to introduce to us in new markets.

Ppc search engine internet marketing

2006-04-20T15:29:23Z

Another faster way to obtain a preferential positioning in the search engines is paying for this relevant position. Most of the major search engines have developed sponsored links programs. Through these programs we can develop ppc search engine internet marketing campaigns, that is to say, positioning our website at the top of the serach engine results and paying an specific amount for every person who clicks on our ad and is adressed to our site (pay per click).

]]> Ppc search engine internet marketing is a very goog alternative for building and driving traffic to a website. Nevertheless, the cost of this type of internet advertising depends, among other variables, on the number of companies interested and competing to appear in the first places for the same phrases or keywords our company is, since the more you bid on an specific keyword the more chances you have to be in that position.

The major and most interesting programs for ppc search engine Internet marketing are Google AdWords and Overture (Yahoo Search Marketing). Nevertheless, Microoft is currently getting into this market with the launching of its Microsoft AdCenter and will probably be also in the group of the two abovementioned. Other less interesting programs are, i.e Miva, 7search, or Goclick.

Are we found by the search engines?

2006-04-20T15:27:21Z

We said in the previous article that, between hundreds of million pages Web that there is in Internet, developed salary a Web site is only the beginning of a long way. In order to be able to obtain the objectives that we have seted out we will have to obtain that our objective public accedes to our Web. For that still they do not know us, we must implement a strategy so that they find us, among other ways, through the motors search.

]]> Most of users of Internet they use the motors search when they want to obtain data. Therefore, to be well posicicionado in the finders is one of the main tools of marketing that we can use. At the moment, the used finders more are spiders (spiders) that sail by the network, visit million Web sites and index their contents. The main motors of búsuqeda are the used ones by Google (Google Bot) and Yahoo! (Slurp). When the users of these finders look for some information introducing key words, the finder will give back a listing to them of pages of Internet that contain those key words, ordered using an algorithm based on different variables. That when somebody looks for information related to which our company does, appears or it does not appear our page Web and, if appears, that it is in the first positions - since as another way it does not serve as anything is very important. Therefore, we must define a strategy so that the spiders index our pages and appear in the first positions for the terms that interest to us.

Attract visitors to our website

2006-04-20T15:19:20Z

Two of the main parts of the plan of electronic marketing already we have solved them once we have made the strategic reflection that we have been defining during last articles: we know who is our objective public and what we will offer to them through our electronic channel. Now what it is necessary is to define how we will communicate the value proposal (message) and how we will attract these users towards our Web.

]]> To develop a Web and to upload it to Internet are only the beginning, since if nobody finds us, the work will not have been used for anything. Therefore, beyond other aspects that we will be analyzing in next articles, he is basic to define a plan of promotion and communication of our presence in Internet with the objective to attract the maximum of people or companies that respond to the defined profile. In order to obtain this objective we will be able to use online means, means off-line and the public relations. Centering in promotion means and publicity to us online, we will have the following alternatives, for which we must decide first if he is interesting to use them in our case and, if it is thus, of defining a concrete plan. The prinicpales are the following ones: - Positioning in the finders - Presence in Directories, and Vestibules and/or "marketplaces" of the sector - To establish interchanges d'enlaces - viral Marketing - email marketing - advertising Campaigns online Of all of them and by the use that do most of users of Internet, we will have to put special attention to the motors search, to which we will dedicate a next article.

Strategic Plan

2006-04-20T15:10:14Z

We already know what we want to do with our electronic channel and what value proposal we will offer to our users. Now what it is necessary to do is to define an action plan that contemplates in detail what we will make to implement what we have defined and how we will do it. This strategic plan (that it treats channel Internet as an independent project) must contemplate, like minimum, seven main aspects:

]]> 1. Pla of marketing: it will include all the strategic reflection that we have done around that we will go and what we will offer to them, as well as a plan of communication of our presence Internet. 2, Technological plan: now yes, it is the moment for defining what average technological we will use to implant our strategy of marketing in Internet. 3, Plan of contents: we will define the contents of our Web based on the value proposal. 4, Necessary equipment: to implant but not only to maintain the strategy. Resources are needed (internal or external to the company) and are due to anticipate. 5, Financial plan: we will define in detail what the development of its strategy to Internet will cost for the company. 6, Control panel: if we did not define indicators to know the evolution, we will never know if our strategy is effective and what it contributes to the general strategy. 7, Legal aspects: we will have to define what legal aspects affect to us and as we must manage them. In next articles we will deepen in each one of these basic aspects so that our strategy of marketing in Internet is effective.

Value map

2005-10-11T17:30:27Z

Once we have finished the definition of the objectives that will cover the strategy with marketing in Internet of the company, to what objective public we have ourselves to direct and what value proposal makes specific we will offer to them through the electronic channel to obtain the mission and vision that we have defined towards them, is very useful to visualize all these elements of graphical way through the denominated map of value of the electronic channel.

]]> Through this map we will graphically reflect all the relations that will settle down between the channel Internet of the company and all those groups which they will be in contact with the enemy with her, as well as with the general strategy of the company. Really, we will reflect all the added values that contribute between some or all of them: - the company (and its general strategy) - the electronic channel - the potential clients, the clients and the ex--clients - the prescriptores - the distributors - the mass media - other groups to whom we contributed or contribute something to us through Internet. This way, we will have to our reach a very useful visualization of the result of all the conducted process of strategic reflection until the moment, and that will have allowed us to define exactly what we will do through Internet and with what objective. From here, the following step will be the accomplishment of the strategic plan of the electronic channel, in which we will define of detailed way the form and the average ones to implement the proposal of value defined in the process of strategic reflection.