Demystifying Online Marketing

LAS VEGASAs marketers seek to extend their brand identity and build sales, integrated marketing with a vibrant online presence is critical. Eric Shanfelt, executive vice president of eMedia, Virgo Publishing, spoke at SupplySide West on Nov. 12 about just how to do that, including providing details on acquiring new customers, building relationships and ensuring long term company viability.

There are several pieces that must be integrated to develop an effective online marketing presence. Among them are understanding how to maximize a companys presence with search engines, developing Web sites that give customers the information they need to take action, and becoming part of the conversation via social media. Of utmost importance, Shanfelt said, is thinking like a customer, not like yourself, to help ensure visitors can find what you offer and how to get it.

To illustrate the point, Shanfelt took a look at a few industry Web sites, including Burts Bees and Seventh Generation. The former, he noted, is really well organized and provides a great example of making it easy for customers to buy products; the latter, in contrast, has developed a following to build the database and long-term customer relationships.

Additional details Shanfelt shared with the attendees were the importance of developing robust content that is recognized in the online community; developing in-bound links through outreach efforts; and spending the time and money on search engine optimization (SEO) to optimize the Web sites recognition. At the end of the day, being part of the conversation and asking consumers to take action can help build that relationship.