The main reasons why businesses are increasingly adopting Internet Marketing are twofold: firstly, it proves to be a cost-efficient marketing channel, and secondly, due to the shifting trends of media consumption towards the internet, reaching a wider audience is conveniently possible through the online medium.
Now, we will examine some of the main forms of Internet Marketing, highlighting their advantages and offering helpful illustrations and case studies.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is an imperative facet of Internet Marketing that aids in elevating your business website’s position to the top of search results for commonly used search queries in your industry.
How is SEO done?
Begin by conducting keyword research to gain insight into the most relevant search queries for your business. Utilize resources such as Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest for a cost-free option. For instance, if you operate an online shoe store and wish to identify the keywords to target, access Google Keyword Planner and input phrases like ‘buy shoes online’ and ‘buy shoes online delhi’. The tool will generate a collection of keywords associated with these search terms, including their average monthly search volume and competition level. Opt for keywords with substantial monthly searches while preferring those with low or medium competition.
After choosing your desired keywords, it is essential to ensure that your website content and meta content are optimized for these keywords or words that have similar meanings.
By showcasing the relevance of your content to search engines, this enables you to achieve a higher ranking in the search results.
Afterwards, it is crucial to continuously perform keyword research and generate SEO optimized content for your company’s blog. This action will aid in establishing a followership for your business and ultimately enhance the credibility of your website.
In addition, it is necessary to generate backlinks for your website by posting high-quality SEO optimized content on external platforms within your targeted industry.
Finally, it is essential to guarantee that your website adheres to search engine guidelines to ensure its seamless ranking in search engine results pages.
Social Media Marketing
Every day, numerous individuals worldwide utilize Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Were you aware that you have the option to establish a cost-free business profile on these platforms and advertise your business? Furthermore, you can effectively draw attention to your business by running ads on these channels. Social media presents an excellent opportunity to enhance the interactivity of your online marketing. By consistently generating captivating content for these platforms, you can cultivate a loyal following and generate potential customers.
Email Marketing
In today’s era, email serves as a popular means of communication and can be advantageous for establishing a connection with potential customers.
To begin email marketing, you must first create an opt-in list specifically for your business.
Establishing an Opt-In list guarantees that you are not bombarding your intended customers with unwanted emails, which would negatively affect your brand’s reputation and lead to minimal interest from your audience in interacting with it.
How can you establish an opt-in email list for your business?
In order to collect your target audience’s information and allow them to subscribe to your emails, it is essential to set up contact forms on both your website and landing pages.
By doing this, you will obtain authorization to reach out to them through email.
Upon initiating the construction of your email list, you will have the ability to transmit valuable content, advertise products, and provide company updates to your intended audience. This will aid in fostering a sturdy association with them. As you establish a regular routine in gathering leads and implementing email marketing campaigns, you will notably enhance your conversion rates through this platform.
Marketing Automation
With Internet Marketing, it is possible to streamline your marketing campaigns. Just envision the ability to set up a campaign for a specific timeframe, such as one or two months, and then simply assess the outcomes you achieve. There exists a range of options available to automate your Internet Marketing endeavors. Platforms like HootSuite and Buffer allow you to plan and post content in bulk across your social media channels. Additionally, tools like Marketo and Hubspot enable you to generate automated email campaigns tailored to your business needs. These tools facilitate the collection of email addresses from potential customers who visit your website or landing pages. Furthermore, these tools facilitate the sorting of these email lists based on various predetermined criteria including product preferences, location, gender, age, action, and behavior, among others. Subsequently, you can design customized email campaigns for each segment based on predetermined triggers, ensuring personalized communication.
Paid Advertising
Internet Marketing allows you to identify the right audience to target and choose the appropriate channels. Google and Facebook platforms enable you to launch paid ad campaigns tailored to a specific target audience. What’s more, you can begin promoting your business on the Internet with just a small budget! Paid advertising, a type of Internet Marketing, aids in campaign optimization and enhancing your outcomes over time. It enables you to create various campaigns aimed at distinct audience groups with varying budgets. Moreover, paid advertising permits you to monitor real-time results and make adjustments or halt underperforming campaigns.
Chatbots
Brands are utilizing chatbots as an intriguing method to enhance customer service and support for their clients. Mastercard has now adopted Facebook messenger bots to assist its customers. With the bot’s aid, Mastercard users can conveniently seek information about their transactions. Additionally, they have the option to engage with the bot for inquiries, as well as to make purchases for various products and services.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing involves the strategic creation and dissemination of audience-centered content, aiming to generate engagement and conversions for the business. This technique enables you to foster a dedicated following for your enterprise. By utilizing various content formats such as quizzes, polls, and contests, you can ensure that your audience actively engages with your brand. Content Marketing serves as a valuable tool for educating and amusing your audience while establishing a strong rapport with them.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing enables you to establish online partners who can refer your product to potential buyers. In return, you reward them with a commission for every successful sale. To facilitate this collaboration, you can establish a specialized website section designed for affiliates. This section will offer a sign-up process for those interested in joining the affiliate program, and also provide them with affiliate links and banners that they can promote on their own websites.
Video Marketing
Video marketing is the latest trend that everyone is eager to adopt for their businesses due to the rapidly increasing audience for video content. Videos are an engaging and efficient way to swiftly narrate your brand’s story, with a high likelihood of achieving viral status if the content is of high quality.
How do eCommerce platforms work? Do I need one?
As you prepare to launch your online business, you might start questioning the functioning of eCommerce platforms and their necessity for achieving success.
An eCommerce platform is essential for any eCommerce store unless you have no intention to sell online, which is highly unlikely. This software application enables you to effectively sell products online and handle multiple operations.
To successfully engage in online selling, it is imperative to select an eCommerce platform that aligns with your requirements. The following factors should be taken into account when making your choice.
Pricing and Payment Options
It is not surprising that eCommerce platforms come with a monthly fee, as they operate as independent businesses and require revenue generation. Therefore, it is likely that you will have to pay for the platform you choose for selling purposes. When selecting a platform, it is important to take into account its pricing, as the costs can vary.
When choosing the right platform for your business, it is crucial to consider the payment options available and how your customers will make their purchases. Certain platforms do not support payment through third-party vendors like PayPal, causing inconvenience to customers and potentially leading to abandoned shopping carts. Therefore, prioritize deciding on the forms of payment you wish to accept and factor them in when selecting the appropriate platform.
Easy Shop Setup
Running an online store is a complex undertaking, especially when you already have numerous responsibilities. The worst thing would be to select a platform that traps you in an endless loop. Opting for a user-friendly platform that simplifies setup and design will streamline the process and enable you to start selling your products, even without coding knowledge. Certain platforms provide templates that enable you to create a polished website without the need to hire costly web design experts.
Tech support
No matter which platform you select, even the most user-friendly one, difficulties can arise when problems occur. Every eCommerce store experiences issues, so it’s important to select a vendor that offers round-the-clock support to help you solve any problems quickly and assist in building your online store if necessary. Numerous platforms provide support through different channels such as email, webchat, and phone.
Choose an SEO-Friendly Platform
Marketers have a strong interest in SEO because it enables potential customers to locate your company. Approximately half of shoppers rely on Google to explore and purchase new items or products. In order to attract these users, it is important to optimize your website for search engines. Therefore, an essential consideration when selecting an eCommerce platform is its SEO compatibility, allowing you to enhance your site for search engines. This should include the ability to incorporate a blog, obtain reviews, utilize your domain name, establish redirects, and implement a navigation structure that is search-friendly, among other features.
Easy to Navigate and a Secure Platform
Have you ever left a grocery store without buying anything simply because you couldn’t locate the items you needed? One reason individuals return to search engines without making a purchase or engaging with a website is due to inadequate navigation.
With an increasing number of options available online, internet users can easily find an alternative website if yours fails to meet their preferences, regardless of what you are selling.
When selecting a platform or employing a template for your business, it is crucial to prioritize navigation as your potential customers anticipate a convenient and speedy shopping experience.
Make sure to choose a platform with top-notch security when your customers decide to invest their extra money in your products. Nobody desires to have their credit card information stolen or face unexpected charges on their account. Opt for an eCommerce platform that supports HTTPS/SSL for a secure and protected checkout process, guaranteeing your customers’ peace of mind.
Mobile-Friendly Platforms
In the past, individuals used to require the act of sitting down, starting up their large and heavy computers, and browsing through numerous eCommerce sites in order to make a purchase from one of the limited popular eCommerce platforms available. However, in the present, the majority of potential customers possess smartphones and have a wide range of choices when it comes to eCommerce sites. It is estimated that over 5.1 billion people globally own mobile devices, and the proportion of mobile commerce in relation to all eCommerce is predicted to climb to 72.9% by 2021.
Considering that mobile shopping has become the dominant means of shopping, the website’s mobile compatibility has emerged as a pivotal factor to ponder when constructing a site. What occurs when your website fails to load effectively on user devices? Inevitably, it leads to non-existent purchase actions and zero engagement with your content. Hence, one must question the significance of operating such a website.
In addition, Google, which is where most online experiences start, won’t give your pages a high ranking if they are not optimized for mobile users.
It should come as no surprise that when selecting an eCommerce platform, one must consider its mobile-friendliness and ability to provide easy access for customers. A more satisfactory user experience on your site will result in increased sales and revenue for your store.
Identify Your Needs
When choosing the ideal eCommerce platform for your business, it is essential to evaluate your business requirements. It is crucial to understand that there is no universal solution, and what may be suitable for a big corporation might not be the optimal option for a startup. If you are embarking on your entrepreneurial journey, it would be beneficial to opt for an eCommerce platform tailored towards new businesses, offering flexibility, user-friendliness, and scalability.
