Creating Marketing Plan for Online Service - Essay Example

?The online marketing plan will enhance the required services to ensure that a large community is met. Currently, there is an increase in online services that are available online with continuous expectations of growth with the online community. The platforms which are currently available are providing expansion of interest in various online areas while creating a different approach to reaching target markets interested in specific businesses. Over the past five years, there has been an increase in online shopping by 40%. This is combined with over 85% of individuals that use the Internet to make a purchase. The expectation with the online purchases is reliant on the website and the ability to have a stronger alternative for the purchases that are available, making this one of the most important aspects of making online purchases (MC, 2011). The growing popularity and expected growth with online e-commerce and services offers even more opportunities for creating the right marketing plan for the online service. Tools for Marketing The first approach taken for the online marketing plan is based on growing in search engines. On average, 48% of individuals find the online services by looking at search engines. The approach taken is to build a strong online presence through Google, Yahoo and MSN, the three leading areas that are able to provide opportunities for searching online. The approach to creating a presence on the Internet begins with keywords and tags that come from a website. This is furthered with building links that move back to the website and which are able to provide different alternatives for the website. The approach taken will be associated with the algorithm used by search engines, specifically which read the online website. The algorithm combines the amount of traffic with the given links and keywords to categorize and create an area of where the website should be categorized. By using this as a part of the marketing plan, it will become easier to develop a relevant approach to the online presence through the use of the search engines (Aakar, Kumar, 2008). While there are relevant aspects that are associated with the search engines, it is also necessary to reach indirect and direct traffic through a variety of tactics. An approach which has grown in the past years is based on the use of Web 2.0 and social media. The Web 2.0 and social media aspects are able to work toward finding indirect traffic and creating an image that allows individuals to go to the website for the services. Using options such as Twitter, Facebook and other social media allow for more interactions and opportunities for the services. The Web 2.0 alternatives are combined with interactions, reviews and dynamic content that is able to provide even more options for search engines. The communication and interaction that is a part of the Web 2.0 applications then create a different level of communication which can be used for the online services (Shankar, 2009). The approach with Web 2.0 and social media is one which is followed by direct interactions with potential and loyal customers. Direct marketing is able to provide even more alternatives to the online marketing while creating even more options for the online marketing. Email, newsletters, promotional offers and continuous contact with those that are interested in the business offers even more information and insight to the customers which are interested in the business. The approach taken is one which is based on customer led options. This allows customers to determine what the nature of the services or products should be. Combining this with insight into developments and new opportunities will assist in creating more customer interactions. By doing this, there is the ability to have interactions, loyalty and the ability to meet the consumer demands that are available through the online portals (Gay, Charlesworth, 2007). Developing a Marketing Mix The various tools which are used with the online marketing are combined with the specific approaches to ensuring that the online services are able to reach the right market. The first approach with each of the alternatives is based on brand marketing that is used for the online services. Creating the right pictures, content and associations with the online services provides a better approach to the online services which are created. Combining this with advertising with the competition, such as adding in incentives, price advertising and other aspects then allows for even more opportunities with the online brand. Creating a strong online brand for the online marketing and creating this with the search engine marketing, Web 2.0 and direct marketing then provides more options to reach the market while providing a stronger image for the indirect and direct customers (Baye, 2009). The brand that is associated with the online marketing then combines with the use of word of mouth and viral marketing. The approach taken will be to create a marketing communication mix. The marketing communication mix consists of using the online brand while developing different areas of information that connect to the online brand. The marketing communication mix is based on the ability to identify the brand then to connect to others which are interested in speaking about the brand. This spreads the viral marketing approach in all areas while developing even more alternatives to creating a stronger online presence. To do this, advertising campaigns need to be created that combine the main concept with the marketing while approaching the different target markets. The approach is to develop information channels that have an impact on the target markets while allowing the information channels to spread to individuals that are interested in the brand and the online service. By doing this, there is the ability to spread the brand name and to create a stronger online presence (Chen, 2008). This marketing mix combines with the offline presence which is known, specifically in terms of the brand identity and the consumer response that is expected to drive the online presence forward. Conclusion The approach taken toward building a marketing plan for an online service is based on the ability to create a stronger entity toward a growing market. Combining a website with the various online tools, including search engines, Web 2.0 and a direct market is able to develop a stronger online presence. The marketing plan is one which combines with the branding of images and content as well as viral marketing techniques with the use of providing information to potential customers. Adding each of these together is then able to develop a stronger presence while allowing for the online service to have the required presence for the growing market. It is expected that with this additional option, there will be growth of the online services and the overall business entity by creating several target markets that are looking for new online opportunities. By combining the various approaches online, there is the ability to create a stronger presence while complimenting the services which are offered. References Aakar, DA, V Kumar. (2008). Marketing Research. UK: Routledge. Baye, MR. (2009). “Brand and Price Advertising in Online Markets.” Management Science. 32 (1). Chen, Y. (2008). “Online Consumer Review: Word of Mouth as a New Element of Marketing Communication Mix.” Management Science 81 (3). Gay, R, A Charlesworth. (2007). Online Marketing: A Customer Led Approach. UK: Routledge. MC. (2011). Most Popular Online Purchases: Statistics. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.marketingcharts.com/direct/875mm-consumers-have-shopped-online-up-40-in-two-years-3225/nielsen-global-ecommerce-most-popular-online-purchases-copyjpg/. Shankar, V. (2009). “The Growing Influence of Online Marketing Communications.” Journal of Public Policy and Marketing 17 (3). Read More