Cybermarketing plan for a local retailer with no existing online presence

Priyank Shende

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Contents
Contents................................................................................................................. 2 1. Introduction:....................................................................................................... 3 2. Official website & Search Engine Optimization ...................................................3 2.1 Independent Domain.....................................................................................4 2.2 Features of the website.................................................................................4 Search Engine Optimization (SEO).......................................................................4 3. Social Media Presence........................................................................................4 Purpose............................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Some dos and donts ...................................................................................5 4. Advertising on Websites of local significance:.....................................................5 eZine marketing:.................................................................................................... 6 6. Daily Deal Websites:...........................................................................................6 7. Conclusion:......................................................................................................... 6 8. References......................................................................................................... 7

1. Introduction:
As we enter the age of smart machines and growing internet usage, no modern business enterprise can afford to ignore the virtual medium to promote its business. By 2011, around 32.7% of the world population had access to the internet. Internet usage grew at an astounding 528.1% during the same period. Consumers are increasingly taking to the internet to make purchases and payments online. It saves them time, offers wide choices, and they can do their shopping from the comfort of their home. For businesses, e-commerce offers a cheap medium of access to a large customer base and in some cases also reduces operating costs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the various alternatives available to a fledgling business venture to expand its business through the virtual medium. An in-depth understanding of the business and marketing strategies is a must before attempting online promotions. Secondly, it must be decided which portions of the value chain should be done on the internet. It might be uneconomical to offer home delivery or hefty discounts unless the volumes of the business justify the added cost. Some avenues for cyber marketing identified are:
1. Official website & Search Engine Optimization

2. Social network presence

3. Advertising on websites having local significance 4. Mass e-mailing / Ezine marketing

5. Presence on Daily Deal Websites

2. Official website & Search Engine Optimization

A professional, user friendly and popular website is very essential in showcasing a legitimate online presence. It gives the customers confidence in the enterprise and also gives the business an edge over the competition. Having said that, building and maintaining a professional website requires considerable time and resources. Proprietors must take the decision to create a website based on the scale of

operations, perceived business benefits and perceived competitive pressures (Dholakia & Kshetri cited in Weltevreden & Boschma, 2008, p. 8).

2.1 Independent Domain

A business that is promoted solely using online advertising and/or websites hosted on free servers is generally not taken seriously by consumers. A genuine website sends across the message that the enterprise means business. Hence an independent domain space, preferably featuring the name of the business is essential in giving an aura of legitimacy and professionalism to the website. E.g. <www.yourcompanyname.com>

2.2 Features of the website

The major purpose of a professional website must be to capture the interest of the visitor and induce him to explore further. The visitor must see value in conducting business on this website. The website should be simple and should not contain a lot of text and graphics. This will help the website to load quickly and also be user-friendly (Lowery, 2010). Important navigational links must be displayed prominently. There should be no external links leading away from the website to avoid distractions for the visitor. Visitors must be able to contact the proprietors through email. Provisions should be made for the same on the website.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

In order for more and more users to find a business website on the internet, it must employ the most common keywords related to the particular field. Besides these META tags must be used for search engines to detect the presence of these keywords in the site (Lowery, 2010). Nowadays the SEO function has become undeniably integrated with social media. Search engines give greater importance to blogs and end user reviews than just keywords. This makes it imperative for businesses to have an effective social media marketing campaign.

3. Social Media Presence

The presence of a business on social media is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to communicate with a large target group, provided one knows how to effectively use these media.
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Businesses must have a presence where their target population is spending the most amount of time. Consumers, especially the younger ones, are spending a majority of their time online on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MySpace, etc. and on various blogs.

Purpose
The primary purpose of presence on social media must be to build relationships with the target audience. An informative as well as entertaining social media interface will create a buzz in the online community about the business and aid in word of mouth publicity. Social media allows consumers to collaborate their views and opinions to take an informed decision to associate with a business or not (Thomas, 2009). Businesses must utilise this characteristic to promote an honest and efficient image.

3.2 Some dos and donts

Social media is a very open and transparent medium. People expect complete honesty on these media and do not take kindly to exaggerations and hyperbole. These can be easily cross checked and borne out thanks to user comments and review blogs. Hence only the truth must be published on such media (Tulchinsky, 2007). People go on social media for networking and entertainment. The enterprise must provide opportunities for both on its social media page / channel. Frank, honest and public exchange of opinions must happen between management and consumers on these media. Blogging about the business will create a favourable impression. Getting industry review websites to write reviews about the business will generate interest in the customer base. Captivating videos and photos will help draw in the younger customers. Aggressive promotion techniques like posting on users profiles or unsolicitated communication should be avoided.

4. Advertising on Websites of local significance:

Advertising on local community websites, blogs or industry related sites will help in focusing on the intended target group. The key to success here is to do a cost-benefit analysis and advertise on only a handful of important websites. This will help in maximising traffic to the intended website.

eZine marketing:
An eZine a short document would help in creating lasting relations with the consumer. It helps in promoting the business and in brand recall. It establishes a rapport with the end consumer and delivers value to him. It should be sent on a monthly or quarterly basis. An eZine should include: a. Current information about the business
b. Offers and deals for consumers

c. Infotainment articles d. Helpful Resource Links The email addresses for such mass mailers should have been legitimately obtained. Also provision must be made for any recipient to easily unsubscribe from the mailing list.

6. Daily Deal Websites:

Research by Freed and Berg, 2012, shows that in developed markets, over 60% of online shoppers subscribe to at least one daily deal website. Offering deals on popular websites will help in increasing volumes of sales and accessing a wider audience. This space is currently in a nascent stage but is gaining popularity. Collaborating with similar businesses while putting up deals will help control costs.

7. Conclusion:
In the case of a small scale local business, cyber marketing shouldnt be completely ignored but neither should the management conduct all of the value chain on the web, unless the business model demands it. An official website and social media presence are de rigueur. Companies must spend considerable efforts to get these right. Advertising, eZines and daily deals can be utilised as and when business intelligence demands it. Initially, every business must focus on increasing the turnover and visibility without worrying much about profits. Focussed Cyber marketing campaign will help in achieving just that. The results can be unpredictable in the short term but there are undeniable long term benefits in increased visibility and customer satisfaction.

8. References
Divol, R., Edelman, D., Sarrazin, H.,2012, Demystifying social media, McKinsey Quarterly, viewed 5 May, 2012, <https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/Demystifying_social_medi a_2958>. Freed, L., Berg, R. 2012, Daily Deal Websites and Emails bring in new and existing customers for Retailers, ForeSee Daily Deal Commentary (2012), viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/_downloads/daily-deal-commentary2012-foresee.pdf>. Groupon Wiki 2012, Groupon, wiki article, 4 May, viewed 6 May, 2012, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupon> . International Telecommunication Union, 2011, Global Internet Users data by Region, datafile, viewed 4 May, 2012, <http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/at_glance/KeyTelecom.html>. Jantsch, J., Lets Talk Social Media for Small Business - Version Two, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/socialmediaforbusiness.pdf>. Lowery, S. 2010, Killer Internet Marketing Strategies The Internet Super Highway to Success, viewed 4 May, 2012, <http://indiemusicplanet.com/xmas2010/Killer_Internet_Marketing.pdf>. Monnier, P.D. 1999, Cybermarketing - a guide for managers in developing countries, Technical Paper, Geneva, viewed 4 May, 2012, <http://www.uazuay.edu.ec/bibliotecas/emarketing/Cybermarketing%20Guide%20for%20Managers%20in%20Developing %20Countries.pdf>. Namazi, N., 2012, Are Daily Deal Websites booming in India?, Business Review India, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.businessreviewindia.in/magazines/10528>. Seymour, T., Marketing Your Business through Email, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/ezine-publishing/what-is-an-ezine.html> . Thomas, L., 2009, Social Media Marketing for Small Business, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.wilsonweb.com/newmedia/social-media-sme.htm> .
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Tulchinsky, A., 2007, The Social Media Marketing Advantage for Small Businesses sample, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.annatulchinsky.com/Social_Media_Marketing_SMM_Advantage_Startups_Ottaw a_sample.pdf>. Weltevreden, J.W.J, Boschma, R.A. 2008, The Influence of Firm Owner Characteristics on Internet Adoption by Independent Retailers: A Business Survey, International Journal of Internet Science, vol. 3, pp. 34-54, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.ijis.net/ijis3_1/ijis3_1_weltevreden.pdf>. What SEO Ranking Signals Are Important Now - with Mike Grehan 2011, video recording, SES Conference, Chicago, viewed 5 May, 2012, <http://www.wilsonweb.com/seo/grehan-rankingsignals.htm> .