2 Services-oriented relationship-building web site
Provides information to stimulate purchase and build relationships. Products are not
typically available for purchase online. Information is provided through the web site
and e-newsletters to inform purchase decisions. The main business contribution is
through encouraging offline sales and generating enquires or leads from potential cus-
tomers. Such sites also add value to existing customers by providing them with detailed
information to help them support them in their lives at work or at home.
Visit these examples: B2B management consultants such as PricewaterhouseCooper
(www.pwcglobal.com) and Accenture (www.accenture.com), B2C portal for energy sup-
plier British Gas (www.house.co.uk).3 Brand-building site
Provide an experience to support the brand. Products are not typically available for
online purchase. Their main focus is to support the brand by developing an online expe-
rience of the brand. They are typical for low-value, high-volume fast-moving consumer
goods (FMCG) brands for consumers.
Visit these examples: Tango (www.tango.com), Guinness (www.guinness.com).WHAT BENEFITS DOES THE INTERNET PROVIDE FOR THE MARKETER?Table 1.1The 5 Ss of Internet marketing
Benefit of e-marketing How benefit is delivered Typical objectives
Sell – Grow sales Achieved through wider distribution to • Achieve 10% of sales online in market
customers you can’t readily service • Increase online sales for product by
offline or perhaps through a wider 20 % in year
product range than in-store, or lower
prices compared to other channels
Serve – Add value Achieved through giving customers • Increase interaction with different
extra benefits online or inform product content on site
development through online dialogue • Increase dwell-time duration on site by
and feedback 10 % (sometimes known as ‘stickiness’)- Increasing number of customers actively
using online services (at least once
per month) to 30%
Speak – Get closer to This is creating a two-way dialogue • Grow e-mail coverage to 50% of
customers through web and e-mail forms and current customer database
polls and conducting online market • Survey 1000 customers online
research through formal surveys each month
and informally monitoring chat • Increase visitors to community site
rooms to learn about them. section by 5%
Also speak through reaching them
online through PR
Save – Save costs Achieved through online e-mail • Generate 10% more sales for same
communications, sales and service communications budget
transactions to reduce staff, print • Reduce cost of direct marketing by
and postage costs 15 % through e-mail - Increase web self-service to 40% of all
service enquiries and reduce overall
cost-to-serve by 10%
Sizzle – Extend the Achieved through providing a new • Improve branding metrics such as:
brand online proposition and new experience brand awareness, reach, brand
online while at the same time favourability and purchase intent
appearing familiar
Source: Smith and Chaffey, 2005