Changing Consumer Attitudes are driving E-CRM

by

 Niveditha E.M

III bcom MM

     We live in a technological age and consumers are now fuelled by internet-induced expectations and an even increasing mood of self-reliance. So we have to compete in an environment where communication, buying processes, data management, delivery and service are all-important in the battle for long-term, profitable relationships.

ECRM helps us to measure, create and increase income and reduce costs and operate more efficiently and profitably. The Internet, as both a marketing and sales channel is redefining well-known customer shopping patterns and behaviours. As technology and manufacturing fast become commodities with little difference in product pricing and margins, the customer relationship is the only area where real competitive advantage is still possible.

Yet, even on web sites that are well designed and usable, it's difficult to get quality customer service when you need it. If you send an email request, do you receive a quick and helpful reply? How easy is it to find a phone number to call? If you call the help line, do the customer service representatives answering the phone understand how you spent the last hour on their company's Web site? Will you ever visit or shop online there again? When you consider that the cost of making a new customer is nearly five times that of retaining an existing one.

No wonder that in today’s world of decreasing margins, increasing competition and ever changing business environment, corporate success depends on an organization's ability to build and maintain loyal and valued customer relationships. But that is easier said than done.

Every visitor to your Web site provides important information, from what they look at to how long they stay on your site. But online behaviour is not your only source of information. It's likely that your company already has relevant data sitting idle or underutilized in databases or filing cabinets within your company. However, this data is often difficult to combine into a unified picture, when today more than ever you need a single, unified customer view.

The key to meeting today’s customer’s expectations is ‘Electronic Customer Relationship Management’ (eCRM) an approach that integrates all of your customer information and makes it available for each customer contact, so you can provide the kind of consistent and effective personalized service customers want. It need not be expensive for a small to midsized company as it not primarily a single technology, but a refocusing of an organizations collection and use of customer data using existing technologies. Although companies selling unified e-CRM solutions may dispute this point. The goal of e-CRM is to serve the same essential purpose of customer service in any business. That is, understand who your customers are and what they want.

The challenge for e-business is to quickly merge your information from a variety of diverse sources into a sales face that can provide your customer with the comforts of shopping environments with which they are already familiar. e-CRM integration supplies a familiar contact point that remembers them personally and has knowledge of their likes and dislikes, their history with your company and their details and credit status.

However many contact points your online business has, such as, e-mail, instant messaging, voice-over Internet, Web chat, voice mail or live help desks, e-CRM provides a solution that brings them all together for each and every customer contact. e-CRM will enable your companies marketing department to identify and target your best customers, manage marketing campaigns with clear goals and objectives, improve telesales, account, and sales management, generate quality leads for the sales team identifying the most profitable customers and providing them the highest level of service.

Cyber law case - Syed Asifuddin and Ors. V. The State of AP. & Anr., 2005CriLJ4314

- complied by

 Sonam Bagla 

(III bcom mm)

Facts of the case :

Tata Indicom employees were arrested for manipulation of the electronic 32-bit number (ESN) programmed into cell phones that were exclusively franchised to Reliance Infocomm.

The court held that such manipulation amounted to tampering with computer source code as envisaged by section 65 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. 

Case Details:

Reliance Infocomm launched a scheme under which a cell phone subscriber was given a digital handset worth Rs. 10,500/- as well as service bundle for 3 years with an initial payment of Rs. 3350/- and monthly outflow of Rs. 600/-. The subscriber was also provided a 1 year warranty and 3 year insurance on the handset.

The condition was that the handset was technologically locked so that it would only work with the Reliance Infocomm services. If the customer wanted to leave Reliance services, he would have to pay some charges including the true price of the handset. Since the handset was of a high quality, the market response to the scheme was phenomenal.

Unidentified persons contacted Reliance customers with an offer to change to a lower priced Tata Indicom scheme. As part of the deal, their phone would be technologically "unlocked" so that the exclusive Reliance handsets could be used for the Tata Indicom service.

Reliance officials came to know about this "unlocking" by Tata employees and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and the Copyright Act.

The police then raided some offices of Tata Indicom in Andhra Pradesh and arrested a few Tata Tele Services Limited officials for re­programming the Reliance handsets.

These arrested persons approached the High Court requesting the court to quash the FIR on the grounds that their acts did not violate the said legal provisions.

Issues rose by the Defense in the case:.

1.It is always open for the subscriber to change from one service provider to the other service provider.

2.The subscriber who wants to change from Tata Indicom always takes his handset, to other service providers to get service connected and to give up Tata services.

3.The handsets brought to Tata by Reliance subscribers are capable of accommodating two separate lines and can be activated on principal assignment mobile ( NAM 1 or NAM 2). The mere activation of NAM 1 or NAM 2 by Tata in relation to a handset brought to it by a Reliance subscriber does not amount to any crime.

4.A telephone handset is neither a computer nor a computer system containing a computer programmed.

5.There is no law in force which requires the maintenance of "computer source code". Hence section 65 of the Information Technology Act does not apply.

Courts Observation:

1.As per section 2 of the Information Technology Act, any electronic, magnetic or optical device used for storage of information received through satellite, microwave or other communication media and the devices which are programmable and capable of retrieving any information by manipulations of electronic, magnetic or optical impulses is a computer which can be used as computer system in a computer network.

2.The instructions or programmed given to computer in a language known to the computer are not seen by the users of the computer/consumers of computer functions. This is known as source code in computer parlance.

3.A city can be divided into several cells. A person using a phone in one cell will be plugged to the central transmitter of the telecom provider. This central transmitter will receive the signals and then divert them to the relevant phones.

4.When the person moves from one cell to another cell in the same city, the system i.e., Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) automatically transfers signals from tower to tower.

5.All cell phone service providers have special codes dedicated to them and these are intended to identify the phone, the phone's owner and the service provider.

6.System Identification Code (SID) is a unique 5-digit number that is assigned to each carrier by the licensor. Every cell phone operator is required to obtain SID from the Government of India. SID is programmed into a phone when one purchases a service plan and has the phone activated.

7.Electronic Serial Number (ESN) is a unique 32-bit number programmed into the phone when it is manufactured by the instrument manufacturer. ESN is a permanent part of the phone.

8.Mobile Identification Number (MIN) is a 10-digit number derived from cell phone number given to a subscriber. MIN is programmed into a phone when one purchases a service plan.

9.When the cell phone is switched on, it listens for a SID on the control channel, which is a special frequency used by the phone and base station to talk to one another about things like call set-up and channel changing.

10. If the phone cannot find any control channels to listen to, the cell phone displays "no service" message as it is out of range.

11. When cell phone receives SID, it compares it to the SID programmed into the phone and if these code numbers match, cell knows that it is communicating with its home system. Along with the SID, the phone also transmits registration request and MTSO which keeps track of the phone's location in a database, knows which cell phone you are using and gives a ring.

12. So as to match with the system of the cell phone provider, every cell phone contains a circuit board, which is the brain of the phone. It is a combination of several computer chips programmed to convert analog to digital and digital to analog conversion and translation of the outgoing audio signals and incoming signals.

13. This is a micro processor similar to the one generally used in the compact disk of a desktop computer. Without the circuit board, cell phone instrument cannot function.

14. When a Reliance customer opts for its services, the MIN and SID are programmed into the handset. If some one manipulates and alters ESN, handsets which are exclusively used by them become usable by other service providers like TATA Indicom.

E-MARKETING : PEOPLE ENABLED OR TECHNOLOGY ENABLED

Swathi D. 

III B.com(MM) 

              EMarketing is gaining more influence on consumers' buying decisions and television's influence on awareness is decreasing.

            EMarketing is not just about technology. EMarketing is like most marketing - you have to understand your mission and engage your customer or potential customer positively in the experience.

             EMarketing gets you closer to customers by creating a dialogue, asking questions and learning about customers' preferences. In all aspects of internet and online marketing we must always remember that it is not about the technology - that merely 'enables'.

           EMarketing is about people and making sure that the process, like all marketing, is people orientated - far too many times it is producer or technology orientated and businesses wonder why it doesn't work.

          Before the internet, consumer purchases were restricted by time, geography, location, and physical store space. In the digital economy, buying is unlimited by these constrictions. The internet allows near-instant gratification and any internet marketer has to realize this and ensure that the internet marketing programs they create take account of this consumer behaviour.

          But remember what we said right at the beginning? EMarketing is about people and making sure that the process, like all marketing, is people orientated - far too many times it is producer or technology orientated and businesses wonder why it doesn't work. Basically, being interactive means that you give people choices that they act upon. People like to be involved. But what does EMarketing technology give you. That's it! The chance to give people what they want: to become involved.

         As an example e-mail marketers sometimes offer a choice between HTML and plain text messages, but that's where interactivity usually stops. Some companies let users make further decisions about frequency and format of the messages their recipients get. This usually increases ROI quite significantly. So something as simple as the format in which an Email is sent or requested or wanted can dramatically affect the success of your EMarketing campaign.

         But why not go further? Let people decide when and what they want to receive. This is a great idea for online stores and catalogues. Simply add a small box "Notify me when this item goes on sale." Allow a person to select whether he or she wants to receive an offer about this particular item only or other special deals as well. "OK", the classic marketer would say, "but that means I am losing high margin sales." But is this true? Too often things like this are not measured but an internet marketing campaign can be constructed - just like any direct marketing campaign - to give you the answers to thsi sort of question.

          Here is another EMarketing idea - the human being is a strange creature that does not trust sales people (well, maybe they have a reason for that). However, people do trust others who are just like them. Plus, people like talking to each other and exchanging ideas. So, create a community. Frequently, people lack enough information to make a decision, but they are afraid to ask.

          Why not add an option "Put me in touch with other people who bought this product." You have to be careful here and create a forum that allows them to interact in a chat room like way.

            Or how about a discount? Simply offer people a choice, what discount they'd like to get - 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, etc. Let a website visitor make his or her selection. Most people opt for the biggest discount first. After they made their selection, you explain how they can get that discount - for example, order 100 copies, or spend £10,000. Now that's interactive and gives you the chance for larger orders. EMarketing allows you to do this in a more interactive and interesting way than classic marketing.

        Most people aren't going to spend that much money or order so much stuff. But they will explore other discount options if you set the thing up to be database driven and may find a deal they are looking for. Your EMarketing objective is to inform people about discounts available. The usual discount table is not nearly as effective. Also, remember one very important thing - always offer the smallest discount (5% in this case) for just participating as the way of thanking the customers.

       So, we repeat that in all aspects of interactive marketing we must always remember that it is not about the technology - that merely 'enables'.

       Interactive marketing is about people and making sure that the process, like all marketing, is people orientated - far too many times it is producer or technology orientated and businesses wonder why it doesn't work.

Jupiter Research has identified seven trends that affect EMarketing:
        Individuals' interconnectivity is increasing. The adoption of digital technology enables business people and consumers to more easily and rapidly connect with each other, wherever and whenever, through e-mail, mobile messaging, Friends Reunited, LinkedIn, Ecademy etc.. The spread of peer-to-peer communications and content extends and reinforces social networks and builds new virtual "communities" and 'viral' communications. EMarketers have to recognize the power and influence of networks and communities.
          The information playing field is being levelled. Digital technology has increased the ease and speed of content creation, access, and consumption. EMarketing has therefore to take account of the effect this has on search engines and consider SEO and PPC.
          As a result of a more level playing field, information is 'democratized'. With more information comes more knowledge, and with more knowledge comes more.... and more... If, as an internet marketer you do not take this into account you will be left behind.
          Relevance is growing. Digital content's abundance creates a growing need for information management and relevance filtering as consumer struggle to find exactly what they want, when they want it. Consumers are spending more time searching for relevant information (a boon to search providers) and increasingly seek to have information aggregated and delivered. Consumers need help managing digital information to avoid digital obesity. So, as an internet marketer how can you help consumers. If the EMarketing that you do does not deliver relevant pages you will be "clicked away".
           Niche aggregation is growing. Online content's abundance and diversity enables consumers to more easily participate and indulge in specialist interests and hobbies. They gather in niche communities of like minded individuals, which results in homogeneous mass consumers fragmenting into an increasingly complex individuality. This is happening with all marketing but is a particular issue for EMarketing as niches are pretty much what the web is about.
          Micropublished self-expression is blossoming. Digital media's open-source, interactive, interconnected nature enables discussion forums, message boards, feedback forms, voting platforms, personal photo galleries and blogs. As an EMarketer how can you use this?

        The "prosumer" is rising. Online media's unique characteristics enable consumers to become increasingly involved in the creation of the products and services they purchase, shifting the balance of power from producer to consumer. Individuals are more involved in specifying, creating, and customizing their purchases to their requirements, as well as shaping their experiences and the communications they receive. Traditional mass-production and mass-marketing concepts are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. It's on-demand everything, everywhere. Growing digital technology ubiquity and the corresponding acceleration of business practices allow consumers to satisfy their needs faster, more easily, and with fewer barriers. Marketing has always been about satisfying consumers but in EMarketing consumer involvement really can create a new level of complixation or a unique opportunity.

USING INTERNET MARKETING, IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THINGS THAT WERE ONLY DREAMED ABOUT BEFORE INTERNET MARKETING

        Direct marketing has been around almost forever – well since postal delivery was possible, though if you look at the way commerce worked during the Roman Empire there are some similarities to direct marketing. Does ordering something from someone 2,000 miles away via your local merchant count?

        Database marketing, on the other hand, got started in the mid 1980s as computers and software became sophisticated and widespread.

          It is now possible to store information about customers, and use the information to build lasting relationships with them. As a result, it is possible to increase sales and profits by:
Changing customer buying behaviour
Cross sales, repeat sales and upgrades
Working out what's profitable and what's not
Creating referrals and customer loyalty

        Models can be used to create customer profiles, segmenting customers into profitability or preference groups, and organisations can develop a different strategy for each group. But, until recently, to devise a different strategy for each person was really beyond the capability of any but the most sophisticated marketers.

          Then along came the Internet. It took some time before marketers realized the potential of the web for business, but when they did they saw that Internet Marketing is the greatest direct and database marketing vehicle ever invented, perhaps even the greatest marketing solution ever invented.

           Using Internet Marketing, it is possible to do things that were only dreamed about before. For example, with cookies, you can recognize a customer whenever she returns to your web site, and greet her by name: “Welcome back, Margaret”.

          Local shops used to do this whenever a customer walked in and customers love personal recognition opening up a whole new world of relationship-building possibilities. The response to any ad or offer should include both a free phone number and a web response option. There are several important reasons for this:
The costs of web direct marketing are very low
        Customers grow to prefer this sort of response as they never get put on hold and can contact you 24/7.
Customers enter their data directly into the web which can be (and should be) directly connected to the customer database. That means that your reaction to their response can be instant: an Email thank you, and a shipment within a few hours.

          That cannot happen with any of the other response mechanisms. Now you can customize or personalize your web site for each customer.

            Since you know what customer has bought, even what she/he is interested in (as a result of an on-line survey) you can deliver an entry page for customer with items of specific interest to the customer.

             Then you can truly personalise your Internet Marketing communications with customer. It the old days, the best you could do was to send out an occasional “Thank you” letter or birthday card if you were reasonably switched on. Today you can:
          Say “Thank you for your order” and describe what that order is when the submit button is pressed,
Send customer an Email thanking for the order and telling what to do if he/she wants to change or cancel it
Send customer relevant additional Emails such as: Your order will be sent on ; Your order was sent using … and here is the tracking number; Did your order arrive satisfactorily? What was your opinion of the product and the ordering process?

          What’s more, all these communications are free. If you are not already doing this then you should at the very least be thinking about it - if you don't someone else will and where will the customer go then?

E-MARKETING DO’S AND DON’T’S

Sushama 

III B.Com(MM) 

            Email marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fund-raising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. However, the term is usually used to refer to: 

· sending email messages with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or previous customers, to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business,

· sending email messages with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something immediately,

· adding advertisements to email messages sent by other companies to their customers, and

· Sending email messages over the Internet, as email did and does exist outside the Internet (e.g., network email and FIDO).

TOP 10 DO’S AND DON’TS IN E MARKETING

DO’S	DON’TS
Create a snappy subject line that doesn't sound like an ad. People are more likely to open e-mail that has a simple, newsy, and direct header.	Don’t get blacklisted. Use a spam checker to see whether your e-mail will pass through common filters or put you on a spam blacklist. Many mailing services have checkers of this type, and Lyris.com and Sitesell.com make similar tools available for free.
Use HTML rather than plain text. A well-designed newsletter or pitch containing product photos will help you get your message across.	Don’t use JavaScript or background images. These will not show up for recipients who are using Outlook 2007.
Design with e-mail reader preview panes in mind. Make sure key elements fit into an area no larger than about 600 pixels wide by 400 pixels deep.	Don’t fail to include an unsubscribe link and a physical mailing address with your message, as required by federal antispam law. Consider including a link to your company's privacy policy, too.
Rely on list-management software or services to deal with subscription changes, bounces, and new opt-in subscribers who have clicked links on your site or in your e-mail messages.	Don’t assume that message recipients will see included images--some e-mail programs won't display them. Provide text descriptions for all graphics, and make sure your message is clear without the images. Never send attachments.
Track your messages' effectiveness. Most list-management tools track open rates, numbers of subscribers who unsubscribe, and click-through response. Test different messages and subject lines to see which ones produce the best results.	Don’t send at the wrong time. The best days for business-to-business mailings are Tuesday through Thursday before 3 p.m. For residential customers, evenings and weekends work best.

E-CRM

Shreya Argrawal 

I B.Com(MM) 

          E-CRM is a customer relationship management system that is implemented electronically. In simpler terms, it means managing your relationships with customers using information technology.

           Online CRM means using a Web based system to manage the customer relationships. A provider who provides CRM services for a monthly or other periodical fee owns the Web based system.

We will first look at CRM and then look at the features of e-CRM and online CRM.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY CRM?

        CRM is not yet defined in full detail. However, we can say that CRM means getting to know the customers closely enough to improve our products, marketing efforts and communications with customers.

         Typically, customers do not constitute a single uniform group. Instead, there would be several customer segments with each segment having slightly different needs and preferences. By identifying the different segments and their particular requirements, we can do the following:
Develop campaigns and campaign materials that work better with each customer segment
Package our offers to make it meet the unique needs of a targeted segment, say, by offering mail order services to make it convenient for customers in remote locations
Create a marketing setup that can reach particular customer segments most effectively
Train salespersons on how to sell better to specific customer segments

         CRM systems also help us manage lead generation and contacts management tasks better. While lead generation helps generate a steady flow of prospects, contacts management helps us track the prospects till they become customers.

         Effective customer relations do not stop with sales. It goes on to after-sales support, resolution of complaints and even to new sales leads in the forms of cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. CRM systems would incorporate features like a trouble ticket feature that help us manage customer support requests and complaints in a systematic and time-bound manner. Finally, CRM systems will have analytical features that would help us analyze customer interactions to generate reports of customer profiles and buying behavior. This kind of information is the basis for marketing planning and sales forecasts

HUMOR IN MARKETING

Deeptha Sridharan 

I B.Com (MM) 

Advertising – The art of making whole lies out of half-truths.

The Optimist says: “The glass is half full.”
The pessimist says: ‘’ The glass is half empty.”
The marketing consultant says: “Your glass needs re-sizing..!”

A software manager, a hardware manager, and a marketing manager are driving to a meeting when a tire blows. They get out of the car and look at the problem.
The software manager says: "I can't do anything about this - it's a hardware problem."
The hardware manager says: "Maybe if we turned the car off and on again, it would fix itself."
The marketing manager says: "Hey, 75% of it is working - let's ship it!"

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" -That's Direct Marketing

You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. Marry him."
- That's Advertising

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me."
- That's Telemarketing

You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:
By the way, I'm rich. Will you marry me?"
- That's Public Relations

You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and
says: You are very rich! Can you marry me?"
- That's Brand Recognition

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:
I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
- That's Customer Feedback

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:
"I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband.
- That's demand and supply gap

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you
marry me?" and she goes with him
- That's competition eating into your market share

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before
you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives.
- That's restriction for entering new market

ONLINE CUSTOMER LOYALTY

Bhavana Sundaraj 

II B.com (MM) 

            Marketing is the process involving various sales techniques and business strategies by which one ascertains the products and services which may be of interest to the customers. There are many ways by which a product can be manufactured. In today’s competitive world, there is one particular way which has caught up with the marketers at a very rapid pace. This is Web Marketing.

            Web Marketing can be referred to as E-marketing, Internet Marketing or Online Marketing. In a nut shell, this indicates marketing of products and services using the World Wide Web. This trend was something which was not prominent in the initial days of marketing of products and ideas. As days went by, with sharpened innovations, many companies have fit this concept into their marketing agendas. Social Networking Sites have a major share in terms of factors which have lead to the development of Web Marketing.

           There are many factors which actuate the success of internet marketing for a company. However, contemplating the market scenario and the various factors, there is one which is very pivotal for the rise or downfall of the enterprise and that is Customer Loyalty.

          Customer Loyalty is about beguiling the right kind of customers, inducing the desire in them to make a purchase and ensuring repeated sales with the customer. Customer loyalty can be best defined as treating people how they want to be treated. If the buyers are satisfied with the products and services offered, they aid in increasing the sales for the company by getting more customers for them

Ø BUILDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY ONLINE:

         With advancing technology, the degree of availability of channels for marketing of products and services has risen with the most conspicuous being E-marketing.

          The development of search engines and social media sites has enabled companies to captivate the attention of prospective and potential visitors to their online websites. The main point of obstacle comes here wherein; the customers have to be retained.

        The main factors like trust, personal touch to services and customer satisfaction are more plausible to achieve through offline marketing. Online marketing has no way by which one can welcome a customer with a warm greeting or explain verbally the features or attributes of the selling object. Thus, the web designing and appeal have to be State of Art to remain on par with offline marketing techniques.

         A simple welcome message on the website or a welcome back message to an already existing customer makes a huge difference. If it’s a new visitor, all measures should be taken to encourage them to register and become a member of the website.

       Any business enterprise wishing to achieve Customer Loyalty should first identify important and profitable customers and then understand their behavior and needs.

Ø BENEFITS OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY:

· Get more sales from existing customer base

· Increase profitability

· Spread Word of Mouth marketing

· Provide competitive advantage

Ø FACTS:

· According to the Customer Service Institute, 65% of a company’s revenue is generated from existing customers and costs 5 times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied.

· According to a study by the Technical Assistance Research Program Institute, 91% of unhappy customers will never buy from a company with whom they were displeased. They voice their opinion to at least seven other people.

· A 5% increase in customer retention results in a 75% increase in customer value according to Fred Reichheld, author of “Loyalty Rules”.

Ø TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER LOYALTY ONLINE:

1. User friendly: When a buyer goes physically to purchase a product, there is lot of cost and effort involved because of which, mostly the customers zoom down on their choices in one shop itself. But, if the website does not allure the visitors, if the search engine is slow or what they want is not available, it would not cost them anything to navigate automatically to another website. The search box should be tuned to facilitate any search and display efficacious results.

2. Prompt and responsive service: Amidst today’s busy and competitive world, many prefer to complete all work and transactions online. Customers turn to online purchase in the anticipation of quick response from online service providers. Thus, speed in online marketing industry is more imperative in comparison to offline. If suppose, the aftermath is not as per the foresight of the website visitors, there has to be a clear contact method displayed along with efficient and effective attendance to the customer calls to clinch the goal of establishment of long term customer loyalty and trust. While answering customer calls, the message communicated should be made as personalized as possible. If it is a standard reply, the customer may feel unwanted and unimportant. Personalized and agile responses help in building a strong customer loyalty.

3. Privacy: Online Marketers should make sure that the visitors before registration as a member of their website are educated about the need for their information and also should be given ample assurance that their personal information would remain private and not public. If both of these are not assured to the website visitors, there is no reason as to why they should abstain from their temptations to become a member of another website where there is a statement mentioning that their details will not be resold. Thus, there should be a prominent display of the privacy statement on the website.

4. Fresh and Active: It is highly imperative that a website should be updated often with new techniques, innovative and creative ideas. The design, style, information and colour are some of the basic attributes that embellish the visual appeal and remembrance value for the customers.

5. Employee Loyalty: Unless the employees are satisfied with the brand they are marketing, it is not possible to satisfy the customers on the same brand. Thus, employees should be motivated through incentives, appraisals and should be made to feel satisfied with their job and brand. They should also be trained on appropriate etiquettes and mannerisms while dealing with customers.

          The companies should have their target customers set through effective market segmentation so as to design the website in the most apt way for the target group. Apart from the above, Social Media marketing through sites like facebook, twitter and youtube help gain better customer insights and interaction on a level unlike through any other media.

           Throwing light on the above discussion, we can certainly conclude by saying that Customer Satisfaction is very crucial for an E-marketing undertaking to be a successful and eminent one.

        "There is only one boss- The customer and he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."

CAREER IN E-MARKETING

Keshsa.D.Vasant 

III B .Com(MM) 

              If the quality email marketing is something that you believe in and are passionate about, you may want to make it a central focus of your career. You may also have noticed that email marketing is thriving in a troubled economy or that it is becoming more effective over time. But, as you likely already know, entrepreneurship is hard, and owning a business puts you in a position to manage a lot of operational aspects that you may not be fond of or even very capable in. And, since most new businesses fail in their first year, and few people have the startup capital to support themselves during the two year period that typically precedes profitability, you may find that a job in email marketing is a more attractive option for your individual career path.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1. Some knowledge and/or training in general marketing.
        Make no mistake, email marketing is marketing, and so you’re going to need to know a few things about assessing your target demographics and analyzing the return on investment for your efforts. Email marketing happens to make ROI calculations unusually easy, as far as marketing goes, but it is still math and still something you’ll need to know something about if you’re going to land (and keep) a job as an email marketing specialist. You’ll also need specialized knowledge of advertising, sales, and marketing psychology to be an effective email marketer.

        A good way to move into the marketing field is the same way you would expand into any other field: leverage your existing experience within your current field, and gradually expand your responsibilities such that you gain knowledge and qualification within the course of doing your job. In time, you will become qualified to hold a position exclusively dedicated to your personal interests and goals.

         College education can also be extremely helpful in developing this type of specialized skill set. If you express an interest in expanding your marketing knowledge in a way that will benefit your present employer, they may agree to pay for some or all of your classes. Even if you do not go for a full degree in marketing, advertising, or psychology, you can still take a selection of courses that will help you on your way by bolstering your resume and expanding your abilities.

2. Basic technical ability and familiarity with available email marketing software and its usage.
         Email marketing has to do not only with user interaction, but systems interaction as well. You will need to be familiar with a variety of technical issues, such as server optimization, types of email servers, spam filters, and negotiating services with web hosts and ISPs.

        You will also need to be proficient in using email marketing software, not only to compose and send messages, but also to track statistics, split test different techniques or compositions, and dividing lists for purposes of market segmentation.

INTERNET MARKETING BUSINESS – FOUR MISTAKES TO AVOID

Ishwarya T. 

III B.Com(MM) 

             Some of the great internet marketing business companies are quite old and have been known to make a lot of money with lot less effort than it is required today. Times have changed and changed for the better, internet marketing business is more hard work today although the monetary returns are still substantial. Starting an internet marketing business is easy but making it grow is the bottle-neck today due to increased competition. It is during these times that internet marketing businesses fail due to lack of perseverance or even patience. Instant gratification is no more the name of the game and if you are an internet marketing businessperson, it is time you read this article and steered clear of mistakes you may commit.

1. Incubation time: For starters, did you know that most businesses that fail, fail in the first year? This is because people lose drive or sometimes they take up more than they can 85handle. Financial implications are also a root cause for this. They take up too much money from the market than required and can’t pay back in time. To realize that any business takes about 12-18 months to bear fruit and results is not easy for a new businessperson and internet businesses are no exception to this. Although initial investment in a virtual or internet marketing business is less since one doesn’t need to buy a brick and mortar store, it is still important to begin small and grow.

2. Focus: Focus is very important for business growth. Too much focus on marketing and ignoring products and services is the main cause here. For beginners, marketing is important but not as important as the quality of the products and services offered. You could find that you have a hundred new customers but no proper product or service to offer, can you keep the business? Divide focus as needed and realign your priorities time and again.

3. Investment: Putting too much emphasis on marketing could also result in spending too much on advertising activities. Although it is important, finding inexpensive means of marketing and advertising is recommended initially. Always make sure that you have something stashed away for a rainy day. There are good market times and bad market times, you will need to plan accordingly.

4. Overwork: Plan your time properly. Working around too many ideas and losing sleep over stuff will not help in anyway apart from telling on your health. You’re your 16 hours a day carefully and focus with a plan. As far as an internet marketing business goes, the initial focus should be on your website, internet marketing for your own products and services and customer service. Losing sleep over growing your business will not help initially. Internet marketing businesses of any kind can be a lot of risk initially. I am sure you have heard how many internet or work at home businesses fail annually. Make sure that you do not repeat the mistakes of the failures (most of which are listed above) and better still get yourself a qualified mentor, trainer who can help you drive your business to new heights.

E- MARKETING AND TRADITIONAL MARKETING

Swetha S. 

III B.Com (MM) 

         Marketing has pretty much been around forever in one form or another. Since the day when humans first started trading whatever it was that they first traded, marketing was there. Marketing was the stories they used to convince other humans to trade. Humans have come a long way since then, and marketing has too.

        The methods of marketing have changed and improved, and we've become a lot more efficient at telling our stories and getting our marketing messages out there. eMarketing is the product of the meeting between modern communication technologies and the age-old marketing principles that humans have always applied.

WHAT IS E-MARKETING?

         E Marketing or electronic marketing refers to the application of marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and more specifically the Internet. The terms E Marketing, Internet marketing and online marketing, are frequently interchanged, and can often be consider.

        E Marketing is the process of marketing a brand using the Internet. It includes both direct response marketing and indirect marketing elements and uses a range of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers.

        By such a definition, E Marketing encompasses all the activities a business conducts via the worldwide web with the aim of attracting new business, retaining current business and developing its brand identity.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

      When implemented correctly, the return on investment (ROI) from EMarketing can far exceed that of traditional marketing strategies.

       Whether you're a "bricks and mortar" business or a concern operating purely online, the Internet is a force that cannot be ignored. It can be a means to reach literally millions of people every year. It's at the forefront of a redefinition of way businesses interact with their customers.

THE BENEFITS OF EMARKETING OVER TRADITIONAL MARKETING

Reach

          The nature of the internet means businesses now have a truly global reach. While traditional media costs limit this kind of reach to huge multinationals, eMarketing opens up new avenues for smaller businesses, on a much smaller budget, to access potential consumers from all over the world.

Scope

        Internet marketing allows the marketer to reach consumers in a wide range of ways and enables them to offer a wide range of products and services. eMarketing includes, among other things, information management, public relations, customer service and sales. With the range of new technologies becoming available all the time, this scope can only grow.

Interactivity

            Whereas traditional marketing is largely about getting a brand's message out there, EMarketing facilitates conversations between companies and consumers. With a two-way communication channel, companies can feed off of the responses of their consumers, making them more dynamic and adaptive.

Immediacy

        Internet marketing is able to, in ways never before imagined, provide an immediate impact.

         Imagine you're reading your favourite magazine. You see a double-page advert for some new product or service, maybe BMW's latest luxury sedan or Apple's latest iPod offering. With this kind of traditional media, it's not that easy for you, the consumer, to take the step from hearing about a product to actual acquisition.

        With EMarketing, it’s easy to make that step as simple as possible, meaning that within a few short clicks you could have booked a test drive or ordered the iPod. And all of this can happen regardless of normal office hours. Effectively, Internet marketing makes business hours 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for every week of the year. By closing the gap between providing information and eliciting a consumer reaction, the consumer's buying cycle is speeded up and advertising spend can go much further in creating immediate leads.

Demographics and Targeting

         Generally, the demographics of the Internet are a marketer's dream. Internet users, considered as a group, have greater buying power and could perhaps be considered as a population group skewed towards the middle-classes. Buying power is not all though. The nature of the Internet is such that its users will tend to organise themselves into far more focussed groupings. Savvy marketers who know where to look can quite easily find access to the niche markets they wish to target. Marketing messages are most effective when they are presented directly to the audience most likely to be interested. The Internet creates the perfect environment for niche marketing to targeted groups. 

Adaptivity and Closed Loop Marketing

       Closed Loop Marketing requires the constant measurement and analysis of the results of marketing initiatives. By continuously tracking the response and effectiveness of a campaign, the marketer can be far more dynamic in adapting to consumers' wants and needs.

      With e-Marketing, responses can be analysed in real-time and campaigns can be tweaked continuously. Combined with the immediacy of the Internet as a medium, this means that there's minimal advertising spend wasted on less than effective campaigns.

       Maximum marketing efficiency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

        The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

MARKETING ONLINE

Prarthana Poddar 

II B.Com(MM) 

INTRODUCTION

       Email marketing is, as the name suggests, the use of email in marketing communications. In its broadest sense, the term covers every email you ever send to a customer, potential customer or public venue. In general, though, it's used to refer to:

• Sending direct promotional emails to try and acquire new customers or persuade existing customers to buy again 
• Sending emails designed to encourage customer loyalty and enhance the customer relationship 
• Placing your marketing messages or advertisements in emails sent by other people. 
• 
  

E-MARKETING
        Done well, e-mail permission marketing—where members choose to receive your information online—builds your credit union’s member relationships. Carefully evaluate and make decisions about these key factors that can make or break an e-mail campaign or e-mail newsletter:

1. What format? Rich media (sound, video, animation), HTML (hypertext markup language), or text? While e-mail marketing messages are formatted in HTML about 61% of the time, 62% of consumers prefer to receive text e-mail, reports B2Buzz, an e-mail newsletter from B2Bworks, a digital marketing firm in Chicago. This could be because consumers seek valuable content, while marketers want the greater branding and visual impact possible with HTML or rich media. A 2001 study by Double-click, a New York-based e-marketing firm, offers a different viewpoint. It shows 22% of consumers prefer text, 37% prefer HTML, 36% don’t care, and 5% didn’t know. You can address formatting in two ways: 

• Ask members what format they prefer, and give them a choice; and 

• Make sure your e-mail delivery system supports multipart e-mail formats that deliver e-mail in the format your members’ various e-mail clients’ support. Multipart e-mail formats become important because e-mail clients (such as America Online, Lotus Notes, Outlook, Eudora, Netscape) and Web mail providers such as Yahoo! and Hotmail process HTML differently. This makes it important to test your e-mail on different clients before mailing it. 

2. How often? Balance your communication needs with members’ desire to receive information from you. Carefully evaluate your e-mail frequency to members. Most businesses send such information monthly, according to Double-click.

3. When? What time of day, and what day of the week? If you have a periodic email, test different delivery times. Once you find an optimal time, stick with it. Research shows consumers like a periodic, scheduled delivery time for information they value. This creates and reinforces the relationship you’re looking for in your e-mail communications. For consumer marketers, click through rates are highest on Sunday, says Double-click.

4. What type of content? Your content strategy should parallel and support your overall marketing strategy. If you provide a member newsletter via e-mail, include value-added information to make the newsletter useful to members. Also evaluate writing style, subject matter, and the degree of personalization your member databases allow. Copy should be easy for members to scan, with intuitive links to more in-depth information on your Web site.

5. What measures of success? E-marketing allows you to more effectively create goals and evaluate metrics than offline marketing activities.

CONCLUSION
       The use of a website to promote your affiliate products is a good idea but it is not necessary. You can use the alternate methods to promote your affiliate products and links. The most popular among these methods are email marketing, writing to forums, article writing and offline promotion like classified ads. The main idea is that instead of promoting your website you will directly promote your affiliate links and people will directly go to the merchant website by clicking your affiliate links to purchase the products. This way you do not have to pay extra for your website creation and maintenance.

A CASE ON CYBERSTALKING

Mithula 

II B.Com(MM)

                 A person called Lauren was friendly with a girl called Susan. They got into a huge fight and stopped being friends and even his group of friends did not talk to him and started getting weird awful messages and a set of E-mails from people he has not known before mentioning thing about even his personal life. it did not stop at this someone gave messages about him in the school notice board and asked the school authorities to shut it .there was also a blog set up with photos in his name and other things about him. Then he started getting text messages saying ’Why don’t you die’, I hate you’ this lead to the interference of police into the matter and knew that the message was sent to all other friends of his(cyber defamation).this mishap was mainly due to letting out of confidential information about his password and username which might otherwise in case of aggressive and egoistic ones turn out to be a total disaster(here Susan). 

CYBER DEFAMATION 

      This occurs when defamation takes place with the help of computers and or the Internet e.g. someone published defamatory matter about someone on a websites or sends e-mail containing defamatory information to all of that person’s friends. 

CYBER BULLYING: A CASE STUDY:SARAH 

         Here harmful messages and images can be communicated to a much larger audience. Sarah is a school student in a brand new school and to her delight she made friends with people in the class. Here came the strange sequence of events where at class Sarah was laughed at by other students in the recess but she left the place to her classroom to her utter embarrassment. She had do some research report for school and so logged on to the net to check her mails and there was one email from a person that she did not recognize, but she opened the email anyway. Inside the email, was an embarrassing picture of Sarah in the lunchroom eating. Immediately, Sarah realized that this picture was the reason that all the students had been laughing at her when she arrived at school that day. Another student must have taken this picture in the lunchroom at school and sent it to everyone in her class. Sara was alarmed and began to cry. She thought that everyone in school really liked her, and she did not know of anyone who would do this to her. Sara immediately deleted the email and did not tell anyone about the email. 

      As the weeks passed, the incidents escalated. Sara received more and more embarrassing and sometimes even threatening emails from the person. As Sara did the first time, she deleted each and every one. One day Sara even received an email that contained a link to a website. To Sara’s horror, the website was about her and contained many upsetting pictures of her as well as threats and derogatory comments aimed at her. Sara was too humiliated to tell her parents even though her parents encouraged her to talk about her problems. Sara’s teachers even noticed that she had begun to fall behind in school and seemed to be very depressed. Like her parents, Sara’s teachers do not have clue to what is really going on. 

    The term “cyberbullying” is being applied to a wide range of hurtful situations, including interpersonal conflicts and “digital drama,” as well as situations that meet the traditional definition of bullying where more powerful young people target those with less power. 

Digital aggression may include: 

• Flaming - online “fights” between aggressors with equivalent strength. 

• Harassment - repeatedly sending offensive and insulting messages. 

• Denigration - sending or posting cruel gossip or rumors about a person to others. 

• Exclusion - intentionally excluding someone from an online group. 

• Impersonation - appearing to be someone to make that person look bad. 

• Outing - publicly sharing someone’s embarrassing information or images that they had send privately online. 

• Trickery - tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, this is then shared. 

• Cyberstalking - engaging in online activities that make a person afraid for her or her safety. 

STEPS TO CYBER SAFETY 

In computers: 

· Use the latest security software, browsers and operating system 

· Turn on automatic updating in the security softwares if it provides for the same. 

· Protect all devices connected to internet like smartpones, gaming systems and other web enabled services all need protection from viruses, malwares. 

· USBs and other internet connected devices should be scanned. 

In case of personal information: 

· Make secure your account passwords through verification from the service provider 

· Combine capital and lower case letters with numbers and symbols 

· Separate passwords for separate account help to thwart cyber criminals 

· Chalk your password down in paper in a place away from your computer for a safer side. 

· Set privacy and security settings in websites for better information sharing also limiting the number of people of information sharing 

· Never leave your laptop unattended even for a minute 

Connect with care 

· Links in email, tweets, posts, and online advertising are often the way cybercriminals compromise your computer. Suspicious ones, even if the source is known, it’s best to delete or if appropriate, mark as junk email. 

· Get savvy about Wi-Fi hotspots: Limit the type of business you conduct and adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your machine. 

· Protect your $: When banking and shopping, ensure that the sites is security enabled. Look for web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information. “Http://” is not secure. 

Be web wise 

· Check trusted websites for safety information 

· Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implores you to act immediately, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information. 

· Back it up: Protect your valuable work, music, photos, and other digital information by makingan electronic copy and storing it safely.

BUSINESS BLOGS– Beyond the Hype

Madonna Dcruz 

III Bcom( MM)

            “Blogs are the most important thing to online marketing since sliced bread.” “Blogs may have their place, but it’s not in direct marketing.” With such disparate views, whom do you believe? The blog consultants? Or established “old school” marketing mavens?

           Barraged with hype, marketers can have a tough time deciding whether blogs should be part of their arsenal. Listen to the blog consultants? But who profits from the blog phenomenon? Are we talking “opportunistic agenda” or “objective perspective”?

          How about the marketing experts? Is it fair to say that blogging doesn’t belong in a direct or business-to-business marketing program? Why do so many veterans bristle at the idea of blogs? Is it simply because of imagined shortcomings? Or do blogs stump an “old school” sensibility that seeks a precedent for comparison?

          A decade ago, with the dawning of the commercial web, marketers faced a similar dilemma. One faction wrote the web off as negligible, while another took to the barricades, waving the web banner and proclaiming the demise of other channels. As we learned, new vehicles do not necessarily replace old ones -- in fact, they may even supplement them.

         Blogs have already proven useful in publicity campaigns, generating word-of-mouth and, in some cases, media attention. CPG marketers have made the most effective use of commercial blogs, with highly imaginative efforts attracting throngs of consumers. There’s no question these blogs have affected consumer bonding with brands.

           Blogs can also play an important role in business-to-business marketing. Management gurus, public speakers and prominent business leaders can wield some mean business-to-business blogs. Tom Peters, for one, has a very successful blog. For Peters’ fans, this is a godsend -- access to Peter’s daily thought process. Of course, the more people who clamor to glean Peters’ next idea, the more likely his next seminar will sell out and his next tome will fly off the bookshelves.

Are blogs right for every company or brand? No.
Are bloggers, and especially blog consultants, over-hyping blogs? Absolutely.

           The first group is merely excited about technology. The second benefits from getting businesspeople to turn off their logic and open their pocket books. The unfortunate backlash -- wholesale discrediting of blogs by critics who have either never used them effectively or never used them altogether. A brave new nirvana? Or just a passing fad? The importance of blogging shouldn’t be overstated or ignored. (Though, currently, the most interesting aspect of blogs is social, not commercial.) Blogs are unique. They aren’t direct mail, telemarketing, direct response TV, e-commerce or e-mail marketing … and that’s fine. Defining what they aren’t doesn’t diminish their potential in the hands of a smart marketer.

WEB MARKETING AS A CAREER

   M.Latheefa

II B.Com(MM)                             

Internet has created a huge job market for the technical as well a creative professionals. With its tremendous growth over a short span of time, internet has started catering to a number of industries. And this has created demands for marketing professionals in the web. Slightly different from traditional marketing, internet jobs can offer the discerning young professionals a very rewarding career. 

     To begin with, internet marketing jobs involve promoting the products and services of their clients in the web. To achieve these goals, an internet marketer may employ a variety of online marketing tools. Search engine optimization, traffic building websites, joining affiliate sites, pay per click advertisement, banner advertisements, link exchange and social media marketing are some of the widely used internet marketing strategies. 

      As said earlier, a career in internet marketing can prove to be most rewarding—both in terms of remuneration as well as job satisfaction. Before taking up an internet marketing job or staring a business of your own, try to update your knowledge about latest internet marketing techniques. This improves your earning potentials. 

SCOPE IN INTERNET MARKETING 

  Are you good in communicating your thoughts? Do you believe in the power of Internet? Can you think out of the box? If yes, then you should think of a career in Internet Marketing. 

     With more and more Indians using the Internet as a means of communicating, this new field of marketing is on a rise. Since it is a cost effective medium of spreading a message, it is very popular among the youth. As per a media report, today 500 million people access Internet regularly in India and that is jump of 600% in last six years. This will give you an idea about the scope of internet marketing. 

CAREERS IN INTERNET MARKETING 

    You don't need to have special degree to start a career in Internet Marketing. All you need is some knowledge of traditional offline marketing, creativity, ability to think out of box, online marketing skills, techniques and knowledge to have a career in Internet marketing. Since this field is dynamic, there is a plethora of job options for people. From people in creative background to MBA grads, this field is one of the most burgeoning industries in recent times. Let us discuss different fields and various career opportunities related to these fields of Internet Marketing-: 

1) Search Engine Optimization: SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website in search engines (like Google) via the 'natural' or un-paid search results. Whenever you have a query and you post that on search engines and hit enter, you see list a list of websites that contain that query term. Users generally click on the top sites of the page. The process of ranking these websites top on the page is because of a powerful web marketing technique called Search Engine Optimization. 

2) Social Media Marketing: Just developing a good product is not enough. You need to market it well so that it has the maximum reach. In this technology era, many companies are using the aid of social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter to market their products. Though, it is still in a nascent stage but marketing strategists across the globe are calling it as the next big marketing revolution. It is also a cost effective way of marketing. Some careers in this field are- 

A) Social Media Marketing Manager: He oversees the implementation of different social media programmes for clients. 

B) Reputation Manager: His main role is to prevent negative information about a company or takes measures to get it removed or lower it in the search rankings. 

C) Copywriter/ Content Writer: He writes newsletters, sales letters, brochures, websites or ads for the company or clients. He can also prove valuable in the area of social media marketing as well. 

D) Link Building: Link building professionals have an important role to play as they create those links that lead to your website. He uses all elements of social media to place links and create high-quality back links. 

3) Search Engine Marketing: The process of promoting a company's or client's website by enhancing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs) through the use of, paid placement, contextual advertising, and paid inclusion. It's a very diverse field and involves many career opportunities. 

4) Email Marketing: Everyday our email inbox gets bombarded with mails promoting a product or talking about a deal. This is email marketing which is increasingly used by companies as it is the most affordable way to promote a product. Email marketing is a type of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fund-raising messages to an audience. From content writers to designers, from managers to analysts, there is plethora of job options in this field. 

5) Online Advertising: Marketing professionals to creative professionals, this field of Internet Marketing also has many job sales and opportunities: The term suggests what it means. It's a form of advertising or promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web to market an idea or deliver marketing messages to attract customers. As per Wikipedia, Online advertising is a diverse field which includes contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, interstitial ads, online classified advertising, advertising networks and e-mail marketing, including e-mail spam. This is target-based as it provides the ability to target specific markets while they are surfing the Internet. From sales and marketing professionals to creative professionals, this field of Internet Marketing also has many job opportunities 

CAREER OPTIONS AFTER YOU LEARN INTERNET MARKETING COURSE- 

Work as a freelancer providing SEO, SMO service 

Start your own SEO company 

Work as a part time or full time affiliate marketer and earn in dollars. 

Start blogging and earn through adsense, this can be done part time as well & suits school & college students. 

Get job in top internet marketing companies as team leader. 

So there is lots and lots of scope and careers in internet marketing. Internet marketing is a future trend. As a result businesses are pushing the envelope in a mad dash to identify and capture as many marketing impressions-and as much users’ information-as possible. 

EVOLUTION OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD

Nanditha Hariharan 

I B.Com(MM)

                When did marketing first start? Marketing evolved on earth when Eve persuaded by the snake convinced Adam to eat the apple! Even today, the when I look at a marketing executive I simply see someone who can create magic. On one side of the world, marketers are convincing the people that ‘fairness’ is important and selling whitening products. While, on the other hand there are marketers selling products that will help you achieve a golden tan. I don’t see marketers as people who cater to your need; rather I see them as magicians who can magically create requirements in this world!

             When I talk about marketing with such zeal, I am sure it would create in all your minds a flamboyant picture of a smart person convincing someone to buy a product. However, today, the marketing scene has undergone tremendous changes. No more, do we seem to need an executive to convince a person to buy a product. A simple e-mail, a page on a social networking site, or a website seems to do the trick. Yet, there is a question that lingers in my mind. Is e-marketing a boon or a bane?

           When measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaign in terms of accessibility, e-marketing offers great value to the company. It is affordable and at the same time there are many resources that one can use online for free of cost or at a reasonable price. Also, on a public forum like social networking sites when your products are marketed, it is open to constructive feedback from the customers. While you get a lot of useful knowledge from the direct users of the product, your customers feel a sense of belonging and importance.

         On the flip side however, news about a bad product can go viral and kill your product. Bad publicity is something that is very common on the internet, and unsatisfied customers can criticize your product intensely. The company must spend quality time on e-marketing for you to reap benefits from it. It is also a complex process where technical knowledge to a certain extent at least is demanded.

           E-marketing unlike traditional marketing is more of a two edged sword. It is a very powerful tool, yet it is in our hands to utilize this tool to the maximum. Before jumping into e-marketing it is importance to define our target audience, the quality time and resources we can spend on marketing and what our needs are. Only based on these answers can we derive a conclusion as to whether e-marketing is suitable for a product of not!

           Even today, nothing beats touching my product, while bargaining with the seller and eyeing what the other person is buying in a crowded shop. . True to the fact that time is the greatest innovator, marketing has also gone through various innovations. Yet, with technology, if I am able to save time and shop at the comfort of my house, like any prudent customer I would welcome this change and anyway consider e-marketing to be a boon!

WEB MARKETING

Shree Vaishnavi 

III B.Com (MM)

             Internet marketing, also known as digital marketing, web marketing, online marketing, search marketing or e-marketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. Internet marketing is considered to be broad in scope because it not only refers to marketing on the Internet, but also includes marketing done via e-mail and wireless media. Digital customer data and electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) systems are also often grouped together under internet marketing. Internet marketing ties together the creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including design, development, advertising, and sales. Internet marketing also refers to the placement of media along many different stages of the customer engagement cycle through search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), banner ads on specific websites, email marketing, and strategies.

INTERNET MARKETING IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL BUSINESS MODELS:

· E-commerce: a model whereby goods are sold directly to consumers (B2C), businesses (B2B), or from consumer to consumer (C2C).

· Lead-based websites: a strategy whereby an organization generates value by acquiring sales leads from its website. Similar to walk-in customers in retail world. These prospects are often referred to as organic leads.

· Affiliate Marketing: a process wherein a product or service developed by one entity is sold by other active sellers for a share of profits. The entity that owns the product may provide some marketing material (e.g., sales letters, affiliate links, tracking facilities, etc.); however, the vast majority of affiliate marketing relationships come from e-commerce businesses that offer affiliate programs.

· Local Internet marketing: a strategy through which a small company utilizes the Internet to find and to nurture relationships that can be used for real-world advantages. Local Internet marketing uses tools such as social media marketing, local directory listing and targeted online sales promotions.


ADVANTAGES

· Internet marketing is inexpensive when examining the ratio of cost to the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and to purchase products and services conveniently .Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. The strategy and overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns depend on business goals and cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis.

· Internet marketers also have the advantage of measuring statistics easily and inexpensively; almost all aspects of an Internet marketing campaign can be traced, measured, and tested, in many cases through the use of an ad server. The advertisers can use a variety of methods, such as pay per impression, pay per click, pay per play, and pay per action. Therefore, marketers can determine which messages or offerings are more appealing to the audience. The results of campaigns can be measured and tracked immediately because online marketing initiatives usually require users to click on an advertisement, to visit a website, and to perform a targeted action

LIMITATION

However, from the buyer's perspective, the inability of shoppers to touch, to smell, to taste, and "to try on" tangible goods before making an online purchase can be limiting. However, there is an industry standard for e-commerce vendors to reassure customers by having liberal return policies as well as providing in-store pick-up services.


WEB MARKETING STRATEGY

Web or Internet Marketing strategies form the cornerstones of your online business, and outline in general terms what is required to make your business a success (for example, driving potential customers to your website). Ideally you should consider and write out the different elements of your overall marketing strategy before you do anything else.

CONCLUSION 

Internet marketing is not easy. It is filled with many complicated challenges that can push you off track, confuse you, and prevent you from succeeding. Successful Internet marketing requires you to be a dynamic, intelligent, and flexible, so a set of static, unchanging plans is unlikely to make you successful.