Neo•Paradigms
The use of formalized e-business models helps managers easily communicate and share their understanding of an e-business among other stakeholders
Internet marketing is both like and unlike other forms of marketing. It is like convention marketing in that you have to do your homework; Know your target demographics, know your product and Know your competition. Internet marketing differs from conventional marketing most importantly in the complexities of presentation and performance roles induced by the web site as a market interface. Mastering the best methods and practices of Internet marketing is a considerable task. It is not possible to fully inform the reader from a single web page but I will provide here a breadth discussion and useful links for further information.
Web site development is as important as developing your business plan and defining your e-business model. For the purpose of internet marketing, and in general, it is important to recognize the elements of what makes a "good" or a "bad" web site. Even when you have done all the leg-work to put your absolutely fabulous product or service online, if your web site is terrible you are not going to do well. There are limitless ways to make a poor web site.
What makes a web site work is not the content but rather the accessibility of the content. There are some important considerations for accessibility but here we are going to discuss it with regard to the majority or internet users.
The most important feature of a web design is navigation. Do not make your customers wonder how to get to the information they came to find! Simple, clear pathways are the best. Where multiple levels or hierarchical navigation is necessary make certain to indicate where in your site the reader currently is located. Visual indicators are vital.
Do not overload your pages. You may have a myriad of quality offerings but you should not attempt to display them all in one place. Again, clear navigation will be your best solution.
Art for art's sake? Not in your web site! Spiffy web widgets are fine for personal pages but they have little use in your storefront and are an impediment to internet marketing efforts. Another very important word to keep in mind about your web graphics: bandwidth! Your logo may look spectacular in 24 bit PNG format at 955 pixels wide, 300 pixels high. The problem is that there are a lot of low bandwidth users in the marketplace - no one is going to wait six minutes for your logo to load. Use your graphics wisely and create them for page load speed.
No discussion about internet marketing would be useful without attempting to understand E-Marketing in context. The ability to do business online introduced a new business paradigm: the e-business model. In simplest terms, a business model is a method of doing business and generating capital for the business. While it is likely that internet commerce will give rise to new e-business models, e-commerce has put many of the more traditional business models to work in new and creative frameworks. Below is a brief listing of some of these e-business models. For a more complete detailing I highly recommend the article 'Business Models On The Web,' from which this listing is derived.
Brokerage Model -
Brokers are market-makers: they bring buyers and sellers together and facilitate transactions. Brokers play a frequent role in business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), or consumer-to-consumer (C2C) markets. Usually a broker charges a fee or commission for each transaction it enables. The formula for fees can vary.Advertising Model -
The web advertising model is an extension of the traditional media broadcast model. The broadcaster, in this case, a web site, provides content (usually, but not necessarily, for free) and services (like e-mail, chat, forums) mixed with advertising messages in the form of banner ads. The banner ads may be the major or sole source of revenue for the broadcaster. The broadcaster may be a content creator or a distributor of content created elsewhere. The advertising model only works when the volume of viewer traffic is large or highly specialized.Infomediary Model -
Data about consumers and their consumption habits are valuable, especially when that information is carefully analyzed and used to target marketing campaigns. Independently collected data about producers and their products are useful to consumers when considering a purchase. Some firms function as infomediaries (information intermediaries) assisting buyers and/or sellers understand a given market.Merchant Model -
Wholesalers and retailers of goods and services. Sales may be made based on list prices or through auction.Manufacturer/Direct Model -
The manufacturer or "direct model", it is predicated on the power of the web to allow a manufacturer (i.e., a company that creates a product or service) to reach buyers directly and thereby compress the distribution channel. The manufacturer model can be based on efficiency, improved customer service, and a better understanding of customer preferences.Affiliate Model -
In contrast to the generalized portal, which seeks to drive a high volume of traffic to one site, the affiliate model, provides purchase opportunities wherever people may be surfing. It does this by offering financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliated partner sites. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is a pay-for-performance model -- if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchant. The affiliate model is inherently well-suited to the web, which explains its popularity. Variations include, banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs.Community Model -
The viability of the community model is based on user loyalty. Users have a high investment in both time and emotion. Revenue can be based on the sale of ancillary products and services or voluntary contributions.Subscription Model -
Users are charged a periodic -- daily, monthly or annual -- fee to subscribe to a service . It is not uncommon for sites to combine free content with "premium" (i.e., subscriber- or member-only) content. Subscription fees are incurred irrespective of actual usage rates. Subscription and advertising models are frequently combined.Utility Model -
The utility or "on-demand" model is based on metering usage, or a "pay as you go" approach. Unlike subscriber services, metered services are based on actual usage rates. Traditionally, metering has been used for essential services (e.g., electricity water, long-distance telephone services). Internet service providers (ISPs) in some parts of the world operate as utilities, charging customers for connection minutes, as opposed to the subscriber model common in the U.S.
Understanding the full scope of E-Marketing in context surpasses just e-business models but includes performance metrics, role of strategic planning. the E-Marketing environment: technological, legal, ethical, global, tier 1 and 2 E-Marketing strategies of segmenting, targeting, positioning, and differentiation. It is a subject suitable for extensive study and course work and cannot be handled by a single web page - or site for that matter.
Recommended resources about Internet Marketing, E-Marketing and E-Business:
