Module 4

1. Website as a Marketing Platform

A firm’s website is a major tool for establishing the initial
relationship with customers.
The website performs four important functions:
Establishing the brand identity and consumer
expectations.
Informing and educating the customer.
Shaping the customer experience.
Anchoring the brand.
2. Traditional Online Marketing and Advertising Tools
 Online advertising is a paid message displayed on a website,
app, or other digital medium.
Online advertising has both advantages and disadvantages
when compared to traditional media such as television, radio,
and print media.

3. Search Engine Marketing and Advertising

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the use of search engines to
build and sustain brands.
Search Engine Advertising
Search engine advertising refers to the use of search engines
to support direct sales to online consumers.
Examples
PPC (Pay Per Click) Ads
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is a technique used to improve the ranking of web pages
generated by search engine algorithms.

4. Display Ad Marketing
Display ads include:
Banner ads
Rich media ads
Video ads
Native advertising
Content marketing
Banner Ads
Banner ads display a promotional message in a rectangular
box on the screen of a desktop computer or mobile device.
Rich Media Ads
Rich media ads employ interactive features that engage users,
such as animations, audio, or video.
Video Ads
Video ads are TV-like advertisements that appear before,
during, or after online video content.
Native Advertising
Native advertising is advertising that looks similar to editorial
content.
Content Marketing
Content marketing creates a content campaign for a brand and
attempts to secure placement on a variety of websites.

Online Marketing Technologies

Web Transaction Logs

A primary source of information about online consumers is the
transaction log maintained by web servers.
A transaction log records user activity on a website.
The transaction log is connected with:
Registration forms that gather personal data
Shopping cart databases that capture item selection,
purchases, and payments

Cookies and Other Tracking Files

Cookies are methods used to monitor and track online users.
 A cookie is a small text file that allows a website to store data
about a visitor on the user’s computer and later retrieve it.

Databases
A database is a huge collection of data.
DBMS (Database Management System) is a software system used
by organizations to create, maintain, and access databases.
A Relational Database (RDBMS) represents data as two-
dimensional tables with data organized into rows and columns.
Queries are used to retrieve data from the database.
The industry standard language for queries is SQL (Structured
Query Language).

Data Warehouses and Data Mining

Data Warehouse
A data warehouse is a database that collects a firm's transactional
and customer data in a single location for offline analysis.
Data warehouses provide business managers with a more
complete awareness of customers through data that can be
accessed quickly.
Data Mining
Data mining is a set of analytical techniques used to find patterns
in the data of a database or data warehouse and to model
customer behavior.
Data can be mined to develop profiles of visitors and customers.
A customer profile is a set of rules that describes the typical
behavior of customers or groups of customers at a website.
 Marketing Automation and Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
Marketing Automation
Marketing automation systems are software tools used by
marketers to track all steps in the lead generation part of the
marketing process.
The marketing process begins by making potential customers
aware of the firm and its products.
This is the beginning of a lead — someone who might buy the
product.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
A CRM system is a repository of customer information that
records all contacts the customer has with the firm and generates
a customer profile available to everyone in the organization who
needs to know the customer.
Customer profiles may contain:
A map of the customer’s relationship with the organization
Product usage summary data
Profitability measures
Contact history and delivery channels
Marketing and sales information
Website visits
Mobile app downloads

Online Marketing Metrics

Display Ad Metrics
Metric
Description
Impressions
Number of times an ad is served
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Percentage of times an ad is clicked
View-Through Rate (VTR)
Percentage of times a website is viewed after seeing an ad
Hits
Number of HTTP requests
Page Views
Number of pages viewed
Viewability Rate
Percentage of ads visible to users
Unique Visitors
Number of distinct visitors
Reach
Percentage of website visitors who are potential buyers
Stickiness
Average length of stay at a website
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who become customers
Abandonment Rate
Percentage of shoppers who begin a shopping cart purchase and
then leave

Video Advertising Metrics

View Time
How long the ad stays in view while it plays
Completion Rate
Number of viewers who watched the complete video
Skip Rate
Number of viewers who skipped the video

E-mail Metrics
Open Rate
Percentage of e-mail recipients who open the e-mail
Delivery Rate
Percentage of e-mails successfully delivered
Bounce-Back Rate
Percentage of e-mails that could not be delivered
Unsubscribe Rate
Percentage of users who unsubscribe from the mailing list

Social Marketing
The objective of social marketing is to encourage potential
customers to become fans of the company’s products and
services and to engage with the business by entering into
conversations with it.
Web Beacon
A web beacon is a tracking method that uses a tiny graphic
embedded in e-mail messages and websites.

Social Networking Process

Social Networking Process Flow
Fan Acquisition → Engagement → Amplification → Community →
Brand Strength → Sales

1. Fan Acquisition
Social marketing campaigns begin with fan acquisition, which
involves attracting people to a company's social media
presence.
Methods:
Facebook Pages
Instagram Accounts
Twitter/X Feeds
YouTube Channels
Blogs and Websites

2. Engagement
The next step is to generate engagement by encouraging users
to interact with the brand and its content.
Examples:
Likes
Comments
Shares
Polls
Contests
Discussions

3. Amplification
Amplification uses the inherent strength of social networks by
encouraging users to share content with their friends and
 followers.
Benefits:
Increases reach
Improves visibility
Enhances brand awareness

4. Community
A community is a stable group of fans who regularly interact
and communicate with the brand and with one another.
Advantages:
Customer loyalty
Better customer relationships
Long-term engagement

5. Brand Strength and Sales

A strong community and active engagement improve brand
reputation, resulting in increased sales and customer retention.
Mobile Marketing
Definition
Mobile Marketing involves the use of mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablets to deliver advertisements, rich media
content, video games, emails, and text messages to users.
Features of Mobile Marketing
Personal communication and organization
Different screen sizes and resolutions
GPS location tracking
Web browser support
Mobile applications (Apps)
Portable and personal devices
Multimedia capabilities
Advantages
Direct communication with customers
Personalized marketing
Real-time interaction
Better customer engagement
Location-based targeting
Applications
SMS Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Email Marketing
Mobile Apps
Social Media Marketing

Local and Location-Based Mobile Marketing

Definition
Location-based marketing targets users with marketing
messages based on their current geographic location.
Location-Based Services (LBS) provide services to users
according to their location.
Benefits
Highly targeted advertising
Increased customer engagement
Better conversion rates
Improved customer experience
Technologies Used in Location-Based Marketing
6. Geo-Aware Technology
Identifies the location of a user's device and delivers location-
specific marketing messages.

7. Proximity Marketing
Creates a virtual boundary (geofence) around a physical
location and targets users within that area.
Uses:
Store promotions
Event notifications
Personalized offers

8. GPS (Global Positioning System)

Uses satellites to determine the user's exact location.

9. Wi-Fi Positioning
Estimates a user's location based on nearby Wi-Fi access
points.

10. Bluetooth
Uses short-range wireless communication for location-based
interactions.

11. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

A low-power version of Bluetooth that consumes less battery
while enabling proximity-based services.

12. Geo-Search
 Uses a user's search queries and location information to
provide relevant local results.

13. Cell Tower Triangulation

Wireless carriers use nearby cell towers to estimate a phone's
location.
Location-Based Marketing Tools

14. Geo-Social Marketing

Uses social networking platforms and location information to
target users.
Examples:
Facebook Check-ins
Instagram Location Tags
Google Maps Reviews

15. Location-Based Services (LBS) Marketing

Delivers advertisements and offers based on the user's current
location.

16. Proximity Marketing

Targets users within a specific geographic area using
geofencing technology.

17. In-Store Messaging

Sends promotional messages to customers while they are
inside or entering a store.

18. Location-Based App Messaging

Mobile applications send personalized notifications based on
the user's location.
Exam-Oriented Short Notes (4 Marks)
Fan Acquisition
The process of attracting users to a company's social media
platforms through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, blogs, and
other online channels.
Engagement
The interaction between users and brand content through likes,
comments, shares, and discussions.
Amplification
The process of extending content reach when users share
brand content with their networks.
Mobile Marketing
Marketing activities carried out through smartphones and
tablets using SMS, email, apps, and mobile advertisements.
Location-Based Marketing
A marketing strategy that delivers messages and
advertisements based on a user's geographic location.
Proximity Marketing
A location-based technique that targets users within a defined
geographic area using technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or
geofencing.