“The Internet has had an overwhelming positive effect on the field of marketing”
Using your understanding of the marketing management philosophies and the approaches to marketing research, critically assess the validity of this claim.
Marketing is societal processes used to discern what the needs of the consumers are as it focuses on a product or a service which can be used to meet the wants. It attempts to mould the consumers towards the specific products or services that are being offered
It is the key to growth for every business enterprise. It concerns itself with anticipating the needs and wants of a consumer at a future date. Generally, it is the process of directing an organization to be successful in terms of selling its products and or services. It is focal point for all business enterprise activities.
Marketing usually focuses on the satisfaction of the needs, wants and requirements of a customer. It involves the marshalling the resources of a business enterprise in order to meet the changing needs of the customer whom the business enterprise cannot do without.
The chartered institute of marketing definition is defined in terms of whether the right product is in the right place at the right time and at the right price. It is usually about anticipating the future needs of consumers and planning how to meet them at the right time effectively.
Internet marketing is also the e-marketing or online marketing. It is where by the good and or services of a company are sold through the internet. It joins together the creative and technical aspects of the internet which include development, advertising, design and sales. It is done using various methods such as interactive advertising, affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing, display advertising etc.
It is the process of promoting and growing an enterprise using online media. It involves using the internet to sell an enterprise goods and or services.
The internet has a positive effect on the field marketing. This is because it has led to the development of e-marketing or internet marketing which had positive effects or benefits to the business enterprises which have tried to use as its marketing strategy and thus the marketing industry.
The internet marketing has brought about cheaper and flexible advertising as compared to the print advertising. The difference between the internet and print medic is that space inn the internet is cheaper, can be accessed for a longer period of time and the content is changeable without consultation when management system has been used. It enable a wider audience to get the information.
Internet marketing has allowed the expansion of the market. The internet is global and therefore there are no geographical barriers. This has allowed business to penetrate through all the geographical barriers that may exist. This makes the products of a company that uses internet marketing be accessible to all potential customers irrespective of the country they are in.
The internet marketing has given room to the persification of revenue streams. A website is not only a medium for representation for a particular enterprise but a media fro which people can acquire information. People can use it to sell advertising space to other business enterprises. For instance a catering company may feature a directory which has businesses such as electronic equipments, rental companies, event coordinators etc.
The internet marketing does not turn down customers. The internet is acessble at al time of the day hence it is 24 7 365. In the internet there are no shops hence, you do not turn down the customers because you have to close the shop. Generally there are no trading hours in the internet which may exist in a shop even those that advertise that they operate 24 hours, there are times when it is impossible to open. For instance when one falls ill or have got more serious issues to attend to for instance a funeral.
Internet marketing is convenient. The potential consumer can visit the website whenever at their own comfort, privacy and without distraction that may exist in the ‘red world’. For instance a person who wants to research about a product will have more advantages at the internet where he or she gets the details fully rather than from a sales agent whose aim is to sell the products and make profit for the company that he or she is working for. In the internet there is no persuasion which is hand to hand.
Internet marketing by offering convenience also offers a point of reference and inpidualized customer care which add value to the enterprises offering and the enterprises consumers experience satisfaction which is of high level. The website by offering advice, tips and a content, it may ‘entertain’ the customers which will make them to remember you better.
Internet allows standardized sales performance. By going through which pitches have worked in the past and which have not, the business enterprises can develop the ultimate pitch and use it in its website then used to all customers. In internet marketing there is no training of sales people who will be used to market the company’s product and sometimes they may not perform because they are not well conversant with your product because all what they wanted was a job.
Internet marketing improves credibility. The website gives the business enterprise a chance to explain about his business in terms of what it is and why it deserves the trust and confidence of the customers. Some customers use the internet for pre-purchase research in order to determine whether the supplier or brand is worthy and they won’t be taken for a ride by the business enterprise. It allows for viral marketing where the customers give their comments about your products hence marketing it.
The internet allows for a two-way communicative marketing. This is because the customers can easily give their feedback on the business product quickly. They can also give information about the marketing approach.
The internet has been able to provide a growth opportunity in that a particular enterprise can be able to refers its possible investors to the website to get information about them in terms of what the company is about what they have achieved and what they are capable of achieving in future.
The internet also allows for the cheap market research. A business enterprise may feature in its website things such as online survey, visitor pull and website statistic which will help to find out the likes of the consumers their feeling about certain aspects of the company. This will help in adjusting your product to suit them as well as the way you should carry out your business.
The internet allows the business to publish a ‘dummy map’ which will help potential customers to locate where the business is. It also usually important to show your customers where you are located especially when you have moved to a new direction. For instance you may relocate from Washington to New York. By using your website you can be able to communicate this information to your potential customers or the ‘already’ customers.
The costs of operating a website are low as compared to the print media. For instance when sell a product online for instance e-books you do not pay for shipping. The internet also offers free advertisement space, use of pay per click search engines and doing of your and swaps with your ezine etc. when an enterprise operates a home based business it does not go through some costs such as the area in your home you use for business, job expenses, training, travel expenses, office supplies, legal and professional services, advertising etc. a good internet marketing strategy help increase the profits and a good reputation is also achieved.
The internet offers time freedom. One builds his or her business at the pace he or she wants. One may decide to work the whole day, 2 hours in a day or even 3 hours weekly. Working hours are determined by the owner but not by other dictating factors.
Internet marketing improves business enterprise competitive edge but only when it is induce of Email Newsletter. This allows you to have more contracts with your customers, who will return to use your products and services rather than those of your competitors simply because you contacts with them. Issues and problems that may arise with your customers will be discovered easily and solved.
Email Newsletters services which are provided by urban Route and are permission based and also require the consumer to opt to receive the e-mail content from your enterprise builds customers trust and protect their privacy. When trust is created, the customers will be able to buy your products without doubts about them.
Internet marketing offers worldwide popularity about your business. This is because is accessible globally thus marketing your company together with its products globally.
In conclusion, internet marketing is the most recent technique of marketing which have proved to be very successful due to the various benefits that it offers to its users. Business enterprises which have been using have been able to become successful.
It various benefits which have been discussed above are able to help the business enterprise to its success. Internet marketing helps the company to make large amount of profits because it eliminates the various costs that have to be incurred by other businesses which do not use internet marketing. Therefore internet marketing have proved to be essential and beneficial for every business enterprise.
Regards go back to the internet which have helped to the introduction of internet marketing hence the internet have an overwhelming positive effect on the field of marketing.
References
- Bayne, K. M, (1997) The Internet Marketing Plan: A practical Handbook for creating, Implementing and Assessing Online Presence, USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc
- Cox, B and Koelzer, W (2003) Internet Marketing UK: Prentice Hall http://www.sitepronews.com/archives/2002/oct/11.html
- Wilson, F, R (2001) Planning your Internet Marketing Strategy New York: Wiley.
- Wilson, F.R, (2005) (2 ed) The Email Marketing Handbook New York: Wiley.