INMA_A01.QXD

7 Opportunities for applying online marketing tools such as search marketing or e-mail

marketing will be missed or the execution may be inefficient if the wrong resources

are used or marketers don’t have the right tools.

8 Changes required to internal IT systems by different groups will not be prioritised

accordingly.

9 The results of online marketing are not tracked adequately on a detailed or high-level

basis.

10 Senior management support of e-marketing is inadequate to drive what often needs

to be a major strategic initiative.

Furthermore, we can suggest that benefits of an e-marketing plan are in common

with those of any marketing plan. McDonald (2003) describes the following reasons why

a marketing plan is useful:

For the marketer

For superiors

For non-marketing functions

For subordinates

To help identify sources of competitive advantage

To force an organised approach

To develop specificity

To ensure consistent relationships

To inform

To get resources

To get support

To gain commitment

To set objectives and strategies.

Managers responsible for a substantial investment in an Internet web site and associ-

ated e-marketing communications will naturally want to ensure that the correct amount

of money is invested and that it is used effectively. For these reasons and others given in

this section, many leading adopters of e-commerce do have a distinct e-marketing plan,

as the E-consultancy survey of UK e-commerce managers shows (Figure 4.3).

For smaller organisations, the digital plan need not be exhaustive – a two-page sum-

mary defining objectives and outlining strategies may be sufficient. The important thing

CHAPTER 4· INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY

Figure 4.3Usage of detailed e-marketing plans in UK e-commerce organisations

Source: E-consultancy (2005)

Key

No detailed e-plan

Integrated detailed

e-marketing plan

Detailed, separate

e-marketing plan

0%

Whole organisation

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Each business/group