INMA_A01.QXD

So the focus of Internet marketing strategy is decisions about how to use the channel to

support existing marketing strategies, how to exploit its strengths and manage its weak-

nesses and to use it in conjunction with other channels as part of a multi-channel marketing

strategy. This multi-channel marketing strategy defines how different marketing channels

should integrate and support each other in terms of their proposition development and

communications based on their relative merits for the customer and the company.

The scope of Internet marketing strategy

When reviewing options for Internet marketing strategy, it is also useful to keep in mind

that Internet strategy involves much more than the narrow focus of a strategy to

develop web site services. Although this is part of Internet marketing strategy, marketers

also examine broader issues of using the web, e-mail and databases strategically as com-

munications and relationship-building tools which must integrate with other marketing

communications. Internet strategy may also involve redesigning business processes to

integrate with partners such as suppliers and distributors in new ways. Figure 1 in the

Preface suggests the range of digital marketing activities that must be managed within

an Internet marketing strategy. The figure shows that the operational activities which

need to be managed can be usefully divided into those for (1) acquisition, (2) conversion

and proposition development and (3) retention and growth. Many of these activities

and much of Internet marketing strategy development involve developing a digital mar-

keting communications strategy. The acquisition activities such as search engine

marketing and online advertising and the retention activities such as e-mail marketing

in Figure 4.2 are covered in Chapter 8. Conversion and proposition development is cov-

ered in Chapter 7. Proposition development, or the definition of the services that a

company offers and how they are used for relationship building, is core to this chapter

and is considered further in Chapter 5 on developing the online marketing mix and

Chapter 6 on relationship building. The supporting operating processes and the man-

agement processes form the core of Internet marketing strategy.

INTRODUCTION

Figure 4.1 Internal and external influences on Internet marketing strategy

Internal influences

External influences

Corporate

objectives and

strategy

Marketing

strategy

Internet

marketing

strategy

Competitor

strategies

Market

structure and

demand

Emerging

opportunities

and threats

Key

Multi-channel
marketing strategy
Defines how different
marketing channels
should integrate and
support each other in
terms of their
proposition
development and
communications based
on their relative merits
for the customer and
the company.