Marketing In The Internet Age

The Internet is revolutionizing the way business is conducted and its use is becoming increasingly critical to the success of business firms. The Internet has become such a pervasive tool that just about every company now uses it some way or another. It is a powerful tool that a business can use to obtain a competitive advantage. And it offers many opportunities for businesses to grow in sales and reduce costs.

Some of the major changes brought about by the Internet can be seen in the way we purchase products and services, obtain information, and conduct our banking. Customers can quickly find product and price information and obtain advice from a wide variety of sellers. Online visitors can check product availability, place an order, check the status of an order, and pay electronically. The use of the Internet empowers customers because they can go on the Web and quickly find out where to get the lowest prices for a particular product or service. Consumers benefit from the Internet because it reduces search costs for products and product related information. E-tailing increases competition by pitting local against national and international competitors.

While the Internet has become an indispensable tool in marketing, many marketing managers do not understand how to integrate the Internet in their marketing strategy. Developments in Web based technologies make it necessary to rethink how firms should conduct their business and market their products as this new technology affects all aspects of marketing. However, companies that fail to take the customer point of view in designing their Web strategy have only a slim chance of succeeding.

Unfortunately, many firms use the Internet without considering how it fits within their marketing strategy. It is important to remember that marketing success depends on the extent of market orientation of the business. That being said, business organizations will not survive the Internet era unless they change the ways in which they conduct their business. Although there is much to be gained from e-marketing, a lot of marketing strategy is based on the same fundamental principles that have traditionally governed businesses.

It has been estimate that small businesses that use the Internet have grown 46 percent faster than those that do not. But small businesses are not the only ones using the internet. Nowadays, every business organization is using it in some way or another. From Social Media Management to e-retail, organizations large and small are utilizing the power of the Internet to grow their business. Marketing managers who fail to use the Internet in formulating their companies' marketing strategy will be at a disadvantage. But success in the Internet age is about learning the new rules of business while not giving up on the basic business principles. Many internet-based companies and companies that utilize the Internet do not perform well because they were built on business models that had no chance of ever making a profit. While the Internet has become an indispensable tool in marketing, many marketing managers do not understand how to integrate the Internet in their marketing strategy. Internet marketing is about fusing technology and strategy for results; marketing managers who are serious about leveraging the internet should bear this fact in mind.