| If you own or manage a business, how much of your advertising and marketing budget is dedicated to the Internet? Given that the Internet is used in almost every business, every school, and every home, is your use of this medium comparable to other media choices such as television, radio and newspaper? Ironically, I’ve interviewed businesses that spend more on business cards and giveaways than they do on attracting buyers and prospects on the World Wide Web. Many question the value of the Internet after they’ve gotten little or no measurable response from the Web site their brother-in-law built for them for $100.
I’m not advocating that you commit all your marketing dollars to a Web site or e-mail marketing. That is no wiser than sinking your entire advertising budget into any other single medium. It is important, however, to consider how you can use the Internet to enhance your marketing strategy.
Don’t have a marketing strategy? A lot of small businesses don’t. Some subscribe to the "if-you-build-it-they-will-come" theory: build a better mousetrap and people will automatically know about it and flock to your doorstep. Others simply don’t plan for marketing, although they understand the critical importance marketing has on business success.
Building a well rounded, successful marketing plan need not be complicated or necessarily expensive. First, you have to start with a budget. Consult with your accountant and decide how much you should allow. Generally, I advise people to budget 15-20% of their gross operating profit – the amount left over after paying direct costs such as production labor, materials and shipping.
Second, choose to create an integrated program. Decide to tie all of your marketing together for the purpose of communicating the "selling proposition" and creating sales, the two most important goals of marketing. Sure, image and branding are important objectives, but those will come as a natural result of successfully selling your goods and services to satisfied customers.
By using an integrated approach to marketing, you are deciding to use all available and productive tools in your marketing arsenal, including sales staff, in-store displays, business cards, advertising and the Internet. Each tool has a specific function and the tool’s ability to produce for your business should be analyzed: will it result in more profit than the cost of the tool, and will it contribute to the success of the other tools?
Let’s consider how the tool called the "Internet" might be considered as an integrated part of your marketing plan of action. As with any other marketing tool, it must be cost-effective and it must help your other marketing tools be successful, too.
If your business is a retail storefront, you might consider using a Web site to sell your goods directly to consumers outside or your primary market area. You might sell overstocked or discontinued items on auction sites, such as eBay. You can also use e-mail to send new product announcements and specials to established customers.
Service-oriented businesses might use the Internet to provide on-line requests for quotes and estimates, and provide up-to-date status reports to current clients. E-mails to inquiries could include industry-related alerts and news to keep your clients informed, as well as build more credibility for your business. Classified ads sites could be used to post inexpensive ads within specific industries and trade groups.
Okay, we know there’s lots of ways to use the Internet, but how is this an "integrated" approach? Alone, each of these ideas isn’t. Even used together, you’re still leveraging only one of several marketing venues.
But, imagine for a moment that you sell and repair televisions. Your store is located in a strip center on one side of town. Geographically, your target market is those homes within a 3-mile radius of your store. Your market is limited, but you want more sales.
Your Web Engineer builds you an interactive Web site that allows you to instantly update models and pricing, allows customers to request and check the status of repairs, and has links to helpful information on the brands you sell. To be effective, it would have to be more than a $19.95 Web site special, but if you integrate it into your overall sales efforts, it could be a gold mine.
First, educate your entire staff about the site. Have them participate in the design and testing so they understand the value and features of the site. If anyone on your staff does not have Internet access, get it for them as a job benefit. The more they surf, the more they’ll appreciate the tool you just paid for.
Second, include the "URL" or Web address (e.g., www.tvs4less.com) on all your advertising materials, your storefront window, and in-store displays. Not everyone that comes into your store will buy, so give them ample opportunity to continue shopping with you after they go home.
Third, give incentives to the sales staff to sign up shoppers for e-mail specials and announcements. Don’t send more than about one or two each month, but by adding non-sales information, such as "Cleaning a Television" or "Using Surge Protectors," your e-mail could be a welcomed communication. By getting a shopper’s permission to send e-mail, you’re not "spamming," which is becoming illegal in more and more states. Include blanks for e-mail addresses on every sales and repair order, and require staff to ask specifically for the address. Have your Web Engineer manage a mailing list system for you to insure proper management of recipients.
Fourth, advertise your Web site. You can never say in a 60-second radio ad all you can say on a Web site. Use your airtime (and space in newspapers) to draw potential customers to your Web site. If the site is attractive, informative, and easy to navigate, people will come to your store, even if others are closer. Why? Because with today’s busy schedules, many people don’t want to waste time going to a store just to find out they don’t have what they want, or don’t know how to fulfill the customer’s needs.
Now, you have an integrated use of the Internet within your business. However, successful use of the Internet is not effortless or without its demands. The first thing you have to do is find an expert who understands not only how to build successful Internet tools – such as Web sites, e-mail lists, etc. – but understands marketing, advertising and business practices. They’re around, but they’re not generally your brother-in-law.
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