Advertising for
E-Commerce
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Chapter 15
Advertising for
E-Commerce
Section
15-1
Section
15-2
The Basics of Building an
Online Brand
Advertising for
Advertising Your E-Commerce
Web Site
2
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 15-1
Why It’s Important
It’s not enough for companies to simply create products
and make them available to customers.
Creating positive feelings about their products and
nurturing relationships with customers can ensure brand
success and longevity.
Businesses use a variety of methods to determine whether
or not their brands are selling successfully, and what
customers are interested in buying.
Section 15-1
3
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 15-1
Key Terms
brand
branding
sticky content
dynamic content
Section 15-1
unique visitors
site traffic
exit page
4
Advertising for E-Commerce
Branding
A brand is much more than
just a name.
Section 15-1
brand a name, design,
symbol, or other feature
that distinguishes one
company’s products and
services from those of
other companies
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Branding
As with every element in
the marketing mix,
branding is all about your
target market.
Section 15-1
branding establishing
a positive personal
relationship between the
customer and the
company providing the
product or service
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Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
As consumers become more tech-savvy,
businesses must work harder to grab their
attention.
Section 15-1
7
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Sticky content keeps
customers’ attention.
sticky content
information or features
that entice visitors to stay
for long periods of time
and return frequently
It helps to keep them on
your Web site long enough
to make a purchase.
Section 15-1
8
The Battle for Attention on the Web
Ways to Make
Your Site
Sticky
localized
weather
reports
personalized
news
games
chat rooms
user
reviews
promotions
frequently
updated
products
Section 15-1
3-D
content
9
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Another way e-commerce
companies create sticky
sites is with dynamic
content.
Section 15-1
dynamic content
Web site information that
frequently changes or is
updated
10
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Customers want sites that are easy to navigate,
easy to find, and meet all of their needs.
Since those needs change over time, they also
want a site that can change with them.
Section 15-1
11
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
When a visitor connects to a Web site, the host
server records log files that contain information
about the visitor.
You can use log files to improve design and
functionality, as well as determine the best
places for advertisements.
Section 15-1
12
The Battle for Attention on the Web
Information in
Log Files
computer
platform
unique
IP address
time of
connection
cookies
page
views
Section 15-1
browser
type and
version
referring
URL
13
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Knowing the number of
unique visitors gives you
a clear picture of how many
people visit your Web site.
Section 15-1
unique visitors the
number of individual IPs
connecting to a site
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Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Calculating the number of unique visitors shows:
whether people are visiting and buying.
whether the site needs more content to make
visitors stay longer.
what customers are most interested in when
they visit.
Section 15-1
15
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
You can use the number of
unique visitors to track
spikes and dips in site
traffic.
Section 15-1
site traffic the total
activity on a site
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Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Log files can also reveal
patterns, such as the most
common exit page.
Section 15-1
exit page the last page
visited by a customer
before leaving a Web site
17
Advertising for E-Commerce
The Battle for Attention
on the Web
Strategic use of the log files will help you
respond to customer needs, making it possible
to offer the right design and content to attract
visitors and keep them there.
This, in turn, will help you build a strong brand.
Section 15-1
18
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 15-1
Review
1.
What is branding? Why is it so important to businesses?
2.
Why must Web sites adapt quickly to changes in market
conditions?
3.
Why are Web sites concerned about how many unique
visitors they have?
4.
What is “dynamic content”? What is an example of this
type of material on a Web site?
Section 15-1
19
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 15-2
Why It’s Important
Businesses face unique obstacles when advertising on
the Internet.
While direct online advertising is vital to a business’s
success, there are other methods companies employ
when attempting to reach customers.
Section 15-2
20
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 15-2
Key Terms
spoof e-mail
banner ad
skyscraper banner
opt-in
Section 15-2
opt-out
online coupons
interstitials
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Web-Site Promotion
Promoting your e-commerce site is perhaps the
most important factor in determining the
success or failure of your business.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Online advertising can only reach people who
have access to a personal computer and an
Internet connection.
Therefore, online companies need to include
radio, television, and print advertising in their
promotional campaigns.
Section 15-2
23
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Some consumers believe that online
advertising violates consumer privacy, and that
e-mail advertising can carry computer viruses.
Section 15-2
24
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Another problem is spoof
e-mail.
Section 15-2
spoof e-mail e-mail in
which the sender’s
address is forged to
appear as if it came from
a legitimate source
25
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Spoof e-mail usually contains an urgent
warning for the customer to update credit-card
or other personal information, with a link
provided to a “trusted” company site.
When customers click the link, they are taken to
a fake page where identity thieves wait to steal
their private information.
Section 15-2
26
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Online advertising has advantages over other
advertising media.
It is quicker, easier, more flexible, and
interactive, and it enables businesses to
respond to problems much more quickly than
with traditional media.
Section 15-2
27
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
When you click on a
banner ad, you are taken
to the company’s Web site.
Section 15-2
banner ad a small
graphic designed to
promote a product,
service, or company;
when users click the
banner, they are taken to
the company’s Web site
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Banner ads are one of the most effective types
of online advertising.
Microsoft reports that banner ads increase
traffic by nearly 40 percent.
Section 15-2
29
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
A skyscraper banner is a
banner ad that stands tall
like a big-city tower.
skyscraper banner
an advertisement that is
aligned vertically on a
Web page
According to the Internet
Advertising Bureau,
skyscraper banners are 25
percent more effective than
traditional banner-size
advertisements.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
E-mail marketing is one of the most cost-effective
ways to reach your customers.
However, because of the tidal wave of spam
drowning consumer inboxes, this option is also
loaded with risk.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
To avoid offending customers, follow e-mail
marketing best practices.
This means you must gain permission, keep
permission, and always give customers a way out.
Section 15-2
32
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
You must provide an
opportunity to opt-in to
e-mail lists, newsletters,
and promotions.
Section 15-2
opt-in when customers
check a box granting a
company permission to
send marketing messages
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Opt-in is more ethical than
opt-out.
opt-out when customers
must specifically request
not to receive marketing
messages from a
company
With opt-out, customers
may accidentally grant
permission without even
knowing it.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Confirmed opt-in is a higher standard for
permission marketing.
With this method, customers receive a
confirmation e-mail with a link that allows them
to unsubscribe.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
The highest standard is double opt-in, in which
customers receive a confirmation message
requesting an immediate response.
If they fail to respond, they are never subscribed
to the list.
Section 15-2
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Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Even when people initially grant permission to
receive e-mail, they may change their minds later.
Therefore, every message should contain
information about how to unsubscribe.
Section 15-2
37
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
An online coupon is a
paperless discount offer
that usually takes the form
of a short code that
customers enter at
checkout.
Section 15-2
online coupon
a digital coupon
38
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Some people find
interstitials annoying
because they “pop-up” on
their browsers.
Interstitials can be
designed to be inviting
instead of annoying.
Section 15-2
interstitials online
advertisements that
automatically open a
new browser window;
also called “pop-ups”
because of the way
they burst onto the
screen
39
Advertising for E-Commerce
Types of Online
Advertising
Sweepstakes and giveaways can be used to tap
into wider markets, attract new customers, and
create excitement about a new product or service.
They can also create immediate positive feelings
toward your brand, since customers associate
your name with prizes and having fun.
Section 15-2
40
Advertising for E-Commerce
Section 14-2
Review
1. What advantages does online advertising have
over other media?
2. Why is a double opt-in message considered to
be the highest standard in marketing? How does
this type of marketing message work?
3. How can online contests and sweepstakes help
a business’s sales?
Section 15-2
41
Advertising for E-Commerce
42
End of
Advertising for
E-Commerce
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