Online Marketing

A recent ABS report found that annual internet income for Australian businesses increased 52% since 2009.

Online marketing, or internet marketing refers to the marketing and sales of products and services over the web. While many similar aspects of internet marketing cross over from traditional forms of marketing, internet marketing offers a range of distinct advantages to propel a business.

What are the advantages of internet marketing?

Conducting business online can initially be an intimidating realm to approach, however once familiar with the basics, it offers an amazing return for time and money invested. Benefits of marketing a business online include:

Low overhead costs: In relation to print, display, radio and regular media outlets, setting up a website and advertising it online is extremely cost efficient. To simply maintain a website as a virtual online store front will cost no more than $100 per year. Publishing a business in online directories and relevant online media sources is generally free.

Customer analysis and target demographic research: When dealing with clients in real life, whether it’s a product or service based business, tracking customer feedback and statistics can be difficult, and at the best of times inaccurate. With the internet, every click, every sale, every movement a visitor makes on a website can automatically tracked into easily analysed data.

Internet advertising is ongoing: An advertisement on the radio lasts up to 30 seconds. Display advertising on a billboard lasts as long as your lease, let alone costs a fortune. Your website, promotions and listings can run practically forever online with no maintenance and cost.

Internet marketing has ultimate viral potential: Viral marketing is undeniably the most cost effective marketing strategy, albeit difficult to pull off successfully. With the rise of Web 2.0 social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, a website is only a click away from being published to the eyes of thousands.

What sources of traffic can internet marketing improve?

Increasing your businesses web presence can open a new range of traffic streams to your website. These include:

Natural search (SEO): Achieving high rankings for keywords related to your business is the ideal avenue of traffic, as it yields highly relevant customers for zero cost. Achieving high rankings generally takes a coordinated search engine optimisation plan which can take months to successfully implement and take effect.

Paid traffic (PPC): Search engines profit by allowing you to pay for premium listings for relevant keywords. Depending on the competitiveness of your niche, PPC advertising can be expensive and not necessarily cost effective. If implemented correctly however, a paid traffic stream can yield ongoing visitors and a consistent stream of profit.

Links: Whether it be a directory, news source or another website related to your business, attaining new links to your website is an effective way of not only having new customers find your website, but is beneficial to SEO.

Social Media: If your business offers genuine value or interest, viral success can yield direct traffic to your website. While the amount of relevant customers are smaller in relation to search engine marketing strategies, it is essentially free traffic and coverage for your business.