AS with most media, the Internet is starting to develop its own suite of tools.
One of the main ones emerging is search engine optimisation. This allows a company to work its way towards the top of lists developed by search engines in response to a keyword search.
In some cases search engines deliver up to 80 per cent of the traffic to a website.
Some search engines are also allowing companies to buy space at the top of their search engine lists or to take ‘sponsored links’ that run alongside the main list.
Another area proving valuable is email marketing. By matching email marketing with increased customer knowledge, more targeted email communications are possible.
However, email marketing is an area that can be abused if not used carefully.
Viral marketing, an offshoot of email marketing, where a customer is asked to forward an email to his or her friends, is also growing in popularity.
Improved technology has allowed companies to create more dynamic advertisements. They also have the ability to change the offer to the marketplace as needed.
White labelling is also growing as an e-marketing tool.
For example, a travel company develops a site that allows customers to book their travel plans themselves. It can then remove its own branding from the technology and offer it to another company for use on their site. The travel company draws its revenue on a per-transaction basis.
