The Internet revolutionised the way we communicate and obtain information. It has now changed the way we do business. Gone are the days of solely conducting business in shops.
We can now see that many businesses of various sizes taking to the web to either sell or market their products and services as more and more people head to their computers or mobile devices to make their purchases.
I was on an EasyJet flight recently and was promptly informed they have apps on Android and IPhone.
The simplicity and cost efficiency for a small business to create an online store and with a few simple clicks create an interactive catalogue of products and services is too tempting.
Imagine the efficiencies. No shop or staff, no need for warehouses to store the products and loads and loads of information on your clients or leads.
No wonder this business model has become the perfect platform for small businesses and established companies alike.
Also, as the Internet is Global, the products are accessible to everyone across the globe with a computer and Internet access.
But there are challenges. There are billions of websites out there and many that sell exactly the same products. There are also many bogus traders that rip you off so credibility and marketing are key to success.
Also there are platform, security and marketing challenges. I will talk about the marketing issues below.
Business owners often turn to the many marketing tools available online get visibilty and bring in clients.
Strategically placed banners and advertisements and massive emailing campaigns have become the norm. Also the darker side of this has led to increasing email spamming. However, there are other ways.
This is where Social Media and Social networks come in. Facebook took the internet world by storm, providing a platform for social networking and it has not taken long for businesses to jump on the bandwagon as well after spotting an opportunity there.
The ability to connect with people who share the same passion provides an added boost to marketers and eCommerce. The ability to know what all your friends are buying and use that information to sell has become the paramount driver for Facebook’s futuire survival and moneymaking prospects. Google is also expolring the many aspects of Social selling with its various platforms.
The rising prominence of Social Media has led businesses to understand that a website is no longer enough to bring in customers.
Facebook makes it easy for people to connect over a common interest. With a simple gesture of ‘liking’ a page, one can be connected with people from one’s own sphere of interest. You can then start selling and buying items relating to the hobby, it is a ready market there.
There is a general lack of knowledge in online marketing amongst the business owners. They either ignore their Social Media platforms or are oblivious to the proper way of using online marketing tools to do marketing.
Its not about sending millions of messages to friends on Twitter and Facebook. It’s about how to engage people through Social Media and build a brand credibilty.
There are many interesting ways of doing this. Using speciality niche blogs that give recommendations and building up your credibility from previous customers through the Facebook Fan Pages, and responding to Twitter comments are only a few of the wonderful ideas available to business owners.
This serves to prove that online marketing is not without its own set of challenges.
There’s a recognition that eCommerce is now combined with Social Media. When people get online, the first thing they’d check is probably Facebook, so it is emerging as a dominant platform alongside the websites.
No comments:
Post a Comment