Zahra Begum's blog

The Effectiveness Of Internet Marketing In Meeting Customer Needs - D1

Internet marketing is very beneficial to all customers as it is successful in meeting their needs. Internet marketing has many kinds of benefits that prove to be advantageous to customers because it makes everything so easy for them, and allows them to fulfil their needs without leaving the house.

There are many benefits of internet marketing to customers that fulfil their needs. One major way their needs are fulfil is 24 hour presence which allows customers to spend more time shopping not worrying about closing times or them been turned away as its closing time. AS OS are available to customers 24/7 which means customers can visit their website at any time of the day, because there's no time limit. This has a big hand in meeting the needs of a customers because normally a person will have to shop according to the closing and opening times of a shop. But now thanks to internet marketing customers are allowed to do most of their purchasing through the internet, and that to when they are free with time to spend shopping and relaxing at the same time. Internet marketing allows customers to shop according to the time most suitable for them. There is no time limit or any other restrictions, so customers can do what ever they want, when ever they want, without worrying about closing times.

24 hour presence allows customers to search for what ever they are looking for freely. There's no restrictions what so ever. This then allows customers to look for the right products and goods they want, taking as much time they want. At ASOS they have a search engine into which customers can write what they are looking for and will be given searches that match their needs and wants. With this possible, it saves the customers time because they don't have to browse through a lot to find what they what, it sort of cuts the number of searches they have to do.

ASOS have a website which is available to their customers and a print screen of it is shown below.

Another way internet marketing is effective in meeting the needs of customers is since it allows them to be up to date with all the product information. This means websites are kept up to date at all times, providing customers with all the right information about products and services. ASOS keep their customers up to date with all the product information and they do this in 2 different ways. Firstly they send emails out to all their customers informing them about any new products that they have available for them. And secondly they maintain their website very well giving so much information about each and every product.

Customers always stay updated through emails or through their website. This means product information is sent to customers always keeping them updated about anything new happening or any latest fashion trends. This is helpful to the customers as they will be aware of everything new going on. With the internet now becoming available to customers through their phones, they will be updated almost in real time.

On their website ASOS give out additional amount of information about products and below there's a print screen to show this.

An additional way that proves internet marketing is effective in meeting the needs of customers is that it allows them to browse through many kinds of price comparison websites so that they can find the best deal for the least. This shows us that internet marketing saves the money of their customers as there are price comparing websites they can visit to find the best deal for the lowest amount of money. 

Internet marketing has grown so much that it makes life so much easier for its customers. It gives them so many choices to chose from that to at the lowest price. When customers go to a shop and want to purchase something that they know can be found at many other shops, they would no doubt want to buy the cheapest one. For this to happen they will have to walk to all the other shops, then find the product in the store and collect all its price information. However, with the help of internet marketing customers can do all this sitting at the homes and the only other thing they will need is a computer that has access to the internet.

There are many prices comparing websites that customers can go onto, so that they find the best deals out there.  Examples of price comparison websites are shown below.

 

 

Internet marketing also allows customers to track their parcels so they know exactly where abouts their package is and when it will be delivered to their house. Many delivery company's such as Parcel Force allow customers to track their parcels as it is making there way through to them. If Parcel Force are the ones handling the package then they will send the customer an email with a tracking number and the date of the posting. All this information is entered into their website and customers will be given further information about their parcel. Below is a print screen showing Parcel Forces website and that they allow tracking possible.

 

ASOS also send emails to their customers keeping them informed about all the latest products that are available for them to purchase. They also send emails informing them about any sales or offer they are offering to their customers. This is a benefit to the customers as they don't even have to visit the website to find out whats going on and whats new. This way if the emails sent out get their attention they can visit their website, otherwise they can wait until something that applies to them. On their website they have a section where you can log into your account and that is how ASOS use their customers emails. If you are a new customers, it is very easy to make an account with them, however, if you are a existing customers you just need to enter your email address and password. Sending emails to your customer is another way internet marketing meets the needs of customers as it is a one on one conversation going on between the customers and members of the business they purchased from. This means that if the customer is having any kinds of problems they can have a very short conversation through emails regarding their problem. Businesses take emails to be very important and tend to every single one they get. They try to sort matters out through emails because otherwise things can get too complicated. There are many ways emails can help customers meet their personal needs, and businesses find them to be a very useful thing they use all the time.

ASOS also use emails regarding many kinds of things. They send out emails to their customers informing them about any new product that is now in stock or about any new services they are providing. ASOS also respond to emails sent to them by their customers. For instance if a customers is having any kinds of problems they can without hesitation email ASOS letting them know, and hopefully ASOS will get back to them within 24 hours solving what ever problem there is.

Internet marketing also allows customers to choose the delivery hours that suit them the most. ASOS provide their customers with the best and one way they do that is by giving them many kinds of delivery hours to choose from. Normally, online businesses do things according to themselves and what suits them best. But ASOS have changed a lot to make sure their customers feel more happy and satisfied by shopping with them.However ASOS always want the best for their customers and this can clearly been seen in the services they provide them with. And one of them is the flexible delivery hours they have for customers to choose from.

 ASOS provide their customers with many different kinds of delivery methods and services. This includes, next day delivery, standard delivery promise which is 2-3 days, Saturday delivery, nominate your own day of delivery and weekend orders are delivered on Monday. The impeccable service they provide is that they send email and text alerts to inform customers of their deliveries, 85% of the orders made are trackable, customers care is available 24/7 and that next day delivery cut off time is 6pm so if customers don't get the package before that time they know it wont arrive today rather than waiting for it all day. ASOS are still trying to improve their delivery service and they are doing this by extending their next day delivery service and by allowing customers to place orders up to 6pm. This then includes a Saturday delivery for orders placed on Friday. They will also be introducing a super saver option and same day service within London.

Providing customers with the best delivery option is one of ASOS's aims.                                                Aims - Uncompromising Presentation, Incredible Choice and Delivering Impeccable Service.

Communication is a very strong format and is necessary for every business to do with its customers. Internet marketing allows this to be very possible, which is another way it meets their needs. ASOS use electronic communication to communicate with its customers and it is the emails they send out to their existing customers. However they can be joined on many social websites such as Facebook and Twitter where communication is possible between ASOS and its customers as well as with customers to customers. So for example all the people who are joined with that social website are free to communicate with all the other people there.

Below is a print screen showing that ASOS is available to join on many different social websites.

Internet marketing offers customers far more than they think it does and fulfils many kinds of their needs. They can always get themselves the best deals taking place at the moment and are kept updated about any thing new happening or about any latest fashion trends. This saves the customers from doing research themselves as they are presented with all the data already. Internet marketing is an inexpensive yet effective method and allows organisation to reach out to all their customers, who they can then interact with, making sure by doing this they can understand the needs, wants and most importantly the buying habits of their customers.

The Challenges Faced By Businesses Using Internet Marketing - M2

Although internet marketing has a large number of different benefits that it brings along with it for the organisation, it also has many disadvantages that it brings along with it too. Below they are explained in more detail with examples as well.

For instance online marketing is not free to set up or to start up and it can cost a lot just to get it running. The cost of all the hardware and software that is needed to get things going is very high. This also includes the cost of website designing, further maintenance of the website, and all the costs over time as well. This shows us that although internet marketing can give the business a lot of profit over time, however, at the start they will need twice as much just to get everything is position so that they can start their own online business. The web design cost for the site will depend on a range of factors such as the number of pages, the content and complexity of the design, whether a contact form is required, or a banner design etc. ASOS have many of these factors included in their website, which shows their web design cost if quite high.

From the print screen above we can see that ASOS's website is designed well and a lot of thought has been put into it. They have included many different factors such as moving pictures, complex design and banner at the top. ASOS must spend a lot out of their profit on maintaining their website, therfore the cost must be high too, this is an disadvantage for online businesses.

There are also many rules and regulations that online businesses have to keep in their minds all the time, when either designing or updating their website. There are many laws out there that have to be abided by online businesses. These laws are set to make thing easier for customers and to make sure their personal information is secure. Some legal requirements that on line businesses in the UK have to keep in mind when they are designing their wesbite is to ensure they include certain information on their websites and in their emails. Minimum information is: name, registered office address, telephone number, email address, VAT number, prices must be clear and easy to understand (unambiguous), and delivery charges. This is an advantage for on line businesses because they will have to make sure all these little bits are included in their website, otherwise action can be taken against them. 

Also as technology is growing rapidly more and more businesses are starting up online so it is a very hard and tough competition because you will have to make your website the best without any flaws at all with it so that customers again and again come back to you without thinking of shopping from another website. You also get many new businesses trying to do something similar to businesses who are doing well in the market. This means they try and make their website look alike, or they may use the same colours, pictures and even the same design of another website so that they can attract their customers to their new website, because they will use someone else's ideas to snatch customers and persuade them to shop at their new website since they will try and make them believe that theirs is better and they are offering a lot more than other websites. This means that businesses have to make sure their website is secured and that their customers know about it too, so they can shop with them without any worries in mind. ASOS are doing very well for themselves and when a survey was done in July 2009, they were ranked number 2 of the top 10 online businesses. This shows that even though ASOS have many competitors out there they are still at the top, just below Next who are at the number 1 position. Below i have added a print screen to show this.

Another disadvantage of internet marketing is that many online shoppers expect something in free or for less, because if they go shopping at a shop, they will come across many offers and deals that the business is offering them which then makes them happy because they are saving some money and it persuades them to buy the product. So online businesses will have to offer something like that to their customers as well, otherwise they may lose all their customers because they prefer shopping somewhere where they get things for half the price or for free. ASOS offer their customers many kinds of deals all the time to attract their attention and persuade them to buy from them. On their website they have a clearance section which provides customers with really good quality goods at a much cheaper and affordable price.

Online businesses will also have to gain the trust of their customers as well which is another disadvantage. The reason they have to do this is because purchasing online means that customers have to give their personal details as well as their card details in order for the transaction to be completed. So customers will definitely have to feel safe and secure for them to give out such details without knowing how the data is been used on the other side of the screen. This shows us that businesses will have to work hard to gain the trust of the customers first and this can be done in many different ways. For example they can try and get to know their customers firsts by sending them emails every know and then keeping them informed about anything new that is happening with them. They can also provide a large choice for their customers to select from, which will show them that the organisation wants to do business with them that why they are spending so much money bringing in more that one choice to choose from. However, ASOS have gone a step further and have ensured their customers that their website if fully safe to use. They did this by having a secure login sign that can be clicked onto and a new page will open (shown below) that has the full details of ASOS and how well they are protected.

 

Another drawback of internet marketing is that its very hard to tell if the people on the other end are telling the truth or not. This means that there is so much information on the world wide web now that you cant judge what is right and what is wrong. This can be an disadvantage for online businesses because they have to work hard and meet their expectations of their customers because only then will they believe they are telling the truth and not lying. Also, customers will have to find out if what businesses say is what they really do and this can be bad for businesses as well because if customers don't believe the business and if they don't trust them how will they be able to do business with them and shop through them, they obviously are not going to then.

Another disadvantage of internet marketing is that some people still believe its always better to go into the shop and purchase product like that because at least you can feel, touch and try the product on and then decide if you want to buy it or not. But if you are shopping online there is no way you can either touch, feel or try the product on so questions can arise in the customers mind deciding if they should or shouldn't make the purchase. So businesses will have to provide their customers with a lot of information about the product so they can read about it and make their decision, and also it will be helpful if the business can provide customers with video clips that they can watch so they can get a better idea of what the product will look like on them. At ASOS they have videos of models cat walking clothes, which customers can pause, play, stop and zoom in and out from. This is a good thing, since customers can not try the product on as they are shopping online, but it gives them an idea about how the product will look on them and it also gives them a closer look of the product.

Another drawback of internet marketing is the problem of trying to manage the overload of feedback that is sent back to businesses. This is hard work for businesses because they have millions of customers all around the globe and they all want the best customer service. For this to be possible they are going to send emails to the business letting them know how they feel about the services they are getting and also any complaints they have. This is going to give the business a lot of stress because they have to make sure they reply back to every single email solving all their problems. This can be a tough situation for the business as they can not even let one customers down. ASOS also send emails out to all their customers and they receive feedback as well. They will have to make sure they give a response mail back to them, as it will make the customers feel happy about the service they are getting.                                    

ASOS are an online business and only function from there. This means they do not have any shops which customer can visit and purchase their goods. ASOS operate from a warehouse in which they store all their stock. But they do have a headquarter that is situated in London, England, UK. This is the online place ASOS can be found at since they do not operate from shops or any other buildings apart from their warehouse. So as an online business they have to make sure they are attracting enough customers as they would if they had a shop. This is one of the major disadvantage of being an online business beacsue you do not have the same advantages as a store or shop would have. Instead you have to pull customers towards youself by offering them a life long experience and keeping a loyal relationship with them.

Every business, whether its one that functions from online using the internet, or if its one that can be found through a shop, will they both need to make sure they advertise their business to the world around them. This is because they need to let customers out there know that they exist and are providing goods or a service that can be brought from them. They also need to make sure they are targeting the right audience using the right advertising methods, and they also have to ensure that people are getting effected by them. Because if they do not advertise right, then no one will be aware of them, therefore how can the business expect to make a profit without customers who are the main factors.

Promotion is all about the way businesses decide to advertise their business, products, services or whatever they have to offer to their customers. There are many different types of ways a business can advertise their products, this includes, print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, posters, fliers) outdoor advertisements (billboards) and broadcast advertisements (television, radio, internet). Businesses try and promote all the special and unique features of their products because that's what attracts customers and over time a unique selling point is created. Through promotion businesses try and create awareness of themselves and whatever they have to offer with the hope that they will be successful in persuading and informing their customers.

ASOS are an online business which means they to will need to advertise their goods to all the customers out there. Although advertising might not seem like a big issue, businesses including ASOS will go through some trouble to get their word out there to the right people. For instance ASOS only operate from online, which means there is no shop out there called ASOS, nor can their goods be brought anywhere else, this is simply because they are only an online business. This means they will have to advertise extra to make sure people think twice about going to a shop to do their shopping, but never think twice about them.

This is a disadvantage for ASOS and their business because advertising online can be a problem as there are many competitor out there who want the light to shine on them the whole time. There are businesses like Next, New Look and Debenhams who on their website provide the same service as ASOS do, but the main disadvantage here is that they also have shops under their name as well. So people walking past them will notice them very easily, so they don't have to advertise a lot to let their customers know they have a website too, which they can browse through and do their shopping, It's very easy for businesses who have a shop as well as an online website to advertise, because they can simply write their website on the back of their receipts or on the bags and people will see it very easily.

Whereas ASOS do not have this advantage instead they have to make sure they get through all their competitors and steal the light for themselves. They will have to work harder and hope that their word gets out there to people. For this to happen they do many thing. For example they email their existing customers and keep them up to date with all the latest news and with all the new products they have in stock. The reason why they do this is because firstly they want to provide the best service to their customers and make sure they know about everything thats happening on their website. And secondly because they know that people will resend the email out to other people in their contact list informing them about ASOS.

Through some research I found out that this methods works really well for ASOS. On their website i found this page where customers can have conversations with one another, and if they have any questions for ASOS, then they can simply write it their and people will get back to them. One example I found was of a customer who was saying she received their email and through that she saw a really nice necklace worn by the model promoting the products. But now she is having problem finding it on their website and wants some help. She also wrote that she sent the same email out to her friends who are also interested in the necklace and wishes they get back to her as soon as possible. This proves that emails sent out by ASOS are forwarded to other people making them aware of their existence. However, ASOS got back to her and she made the sale. Below is a print screen showing this.

Above is an example of Viral Marketing. This is when a marketing message is sent by email to existing customers or to a target group, which is then forwarded by them to their friends, This cycle keeps going on and on and more people are being informed each time unknowingly promoting the business. ASOS use this method as well because they send emails to their existing customers as well as a target group, which then gets forwarded by them forming a whole group of people. This sort of method is very popular as once the email has been sent off, it can spread very rapidly and at a low cost.

ASOS have many different advertising methods that they use. For example they use billboards on which they advertise their products. Below there is an example of a poster that was hang up on a billboard. From it we can clearly see that they are advertising women clothes to their customers, and along with that they have also managed to include their website address so people know where to find them.

Another technique ASOS use to advertise their products to customers that I came across is the banner advert. This is when businesses somewhere on the website page have a banner that include other businesses adverts. ASOS also have one on their website, which is situated right at the top going all the way across. Below I have added two different print screens. One proving that ASOS has a banner on their website and there other of a banner adverts promoting ASOS that I came across.

Banners, Spotlights, Pop-Ups and Sponsored Links, these are the most common way of promoting a website on other websites. They are also known as online advertisements because once they are clicked on a new window browser page will open of the website that was clicked on displaying it. These adverts can either be animated or interactive. ASOS also use this kind of communication method as they are promoting their website on other websites and once clicked on, you will be taken to their home page which is ASOS.com. Online businesses trying to promote their goods over the internet can be a really tough challenge as there will be a lot of hurdles that will come in their way. A lot of their competition party will be applying the same methods to get the same job done, that's why ASOS will have to make sure they are targeting the right audience and the right age group using the right methods. However, the next stage is converting leads into sales. This can be a hard job because informing people about your business is never enough. Instead you have to make sure they are actually purchasing goods and as a business you are making a large number of sales.

Even though there are many disadvantages and drawbacks about internet marketing, they can all be solved very easily and an organisation would never face these problems if they do everything right and by following a few steps. However, one should never forget that there are also many positive things, advantages and benefits of internet marketing to organisations as well, so it balances things out well.

What Are The Benefits Of Internet Marketing To Customers? - M1

Customers have gained a huge amount from the use of the internet. As the number of internet users are increasing all the time more and more will shop online. Listed below there are some benefits of internet marketing to customers.

There are many benefits of internet marketing to customers. For instance, their 24 hour presence allows customers to spend more time shopping not worrying about closing times or them been turned away as its closing time. ASOS are available to customers 24/7 which means customers can visit their website at any time of the day, because there's no time limit. Customers can shop at ASOS whenever they want and the only other thing they will need is access to a computer. ASOS website is well designed and customers will find it very easy to find there way around it, even when they are using it for the first time. ASOS have clearly labelled everything on the web page with many different arrows that indicate where to go next. They also have put everything is categories, such as Women, Men, Designer and Beauty. This will breakdown the users searches and saves their time. Because if they want to only shop for women wear then they have to just click onto the women section and a drop down list will appear so they can decide what they want to browse through first.

 

Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is its convenience. For example its far more convenient for a person to research a product online, rather than getting into their car, drive somewhere and look for or ask someone for information about a product. However, internet marketing makes life a lot easier for the customer as they can do everything sitting comfortably at home instead of going elsewhere. Customers can visit ASOS from their homes which makes things a lot easier for them because they can do all their researching and shopping from home, and they don't even need a third persons help. By organisations offering their customers convenience, they also offer them value and satisfaction at the same time. This is because websites can offer more than just one thing to their customers, they put forward other things like, advice, more choices, and other general interests that can entertain their customers all the time. This then adds value and satisfies the customers because eventually they find what they were looking for. On their website ASOS offer their customers more things than usual. Right at the bottom of their website they have a long list of everything the customers might be interested in. They have put everything in categories, such as, "Why shop with us", "Whats in store", "How can we help", "Further information" and lastly "Join us". The user on the website can click onto any of these which are presented with lots of information for each subheading, and find out anything. Below there is a print screen showing this.

Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is that it allows them to search for what ever they are looking for freely. There's no restrictions what so ever. This then allows customers to look for the right products and goods they want. At ASOS they have a search engine into which customers can write what they are looking for and will be given searches that match their needs and wants. With this possible, it saves the customers time because they don't have to browse through a lot to find what they what, it sort of cuts the number of searches they have to do.

Above is a print screen showing that ASOS have a search engine which customers can use to write exactly what they are looking for. This is a very big advantage for them because it will cut short the number of things and pages they have to browse through, because if they use the search engine instead, on their monitor screen they will be presented with the item they have searched for. For example if they type "Nail Varnish" into the search engine they will be presented with all the different kind of nail varnishes and nothing more than that.

This is something customers will like and enjoy using. Firstly, it saves their time and secondly it gives them with only the product they have searched for and not that is not necessary.

Internet marketing also allows customers to compare prices using the internet, so that they get the best for cheap. This shows us that internet marketing saves the money of the customers as there are price comparing websites they can visit to find the best deal for the lowest amount of money. There are many prices comparing websites that customers can go onto, so that they find the best deals out there.  Examples of price comparison websites are shown below.

Buying over the internet is very quick, convenient and private which is another benefit to customers, because there's no driving away to buy what they need, nor do they have to battle their way through crowds or other customers for the same thing. Another benefit is that customers always stay updated through emails or through their website. This means product information is sent to customers always keeping them updated about anything new happening or any latest fashion trends. This is helpful to the customers as they will be aware of everything new going on. With the internet now becoming available to customers through their phones, they will be updated almost in real time.

ASOS also send emails to their customers keeping them informed about all the latest products that are available for them to purchase. They also send emails informing them about any sales or offer they are offering to their customers. This is a benefit to the customers as they don't even have to visit the website to find out whats going on and whats new. This way if the emails sent out get their attention they can visit their website, otherwise they can wait until something that applies to them. On their website they have a section where you can log into your account and that is how ASOS use their customers emails. If you are a new customers, it is very easy to make an account with them, however, if you are a existing customers you just need to enter your email address and password.

A major benefit of internet marketing is that is allows the customer to track their parcel any time. As customers pay for their product before they get it, its very important that customers feel reassured about this process. Many websites allow customers to track their parcel before it reaches them. This then makes them feel reassured and certain that they are obtaining a good mannered service. ASOS allows its customers to track their parcels from order, dispatch to transportation so that they feel their parcel is in the right hands and will get to them very soon.

Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is that their power to bargain has increased because they can see the prices of a product on every website they wish to visit therefore they can let other websites, whose prices are higher compared to others, know that they will not be purchasing from them since they found another website who sells the same product but at a cheaper price. This then makes the other website change their prices to match their competitors as they don't wish to lose any more of their existing customers. This shows us that customers bargaining power increases as they can do this anytime they wish to. Since websites are updated all the time, even if the slightest change needs to be made, its beneficial for the customers because they are provided with up to date product information all the time. ASOS also make changes to their website all the time as well, and they give a lot of really detailed information out about their products to their customers. This is useful and helpful for the customers because they can read the information to get a better idea about it, which will increase their chances of making a purchase. Another benefit of internet marketing is that there is now a greater supply convenience through availability of responsive transaction facilities. This means that customers can purchase tickets for many different things by using the internet, making the purchase online and then printing the tickets out in their homes. They wont even need to step outside or even queue up for however long waiting to be served, because thanks to internet marketing all of this can be done at home without taking a third step outside. Also, internet marketing provides their customers with immediate online sales and services without any need of travelling. Customers can purchase anytime online, and they wont need to worry about them not having enough time to look through everything properly because there isn't a time limit at all. Also customers receive good customers service as well because if they are facing any problems they can send out emails, without having to stand in a queue waiting for their time to come so they can speak to the advisers and tell them their problems. Sending out emails can be done very quickly right there on the spot, so they wont even need to wait for a right time or anything because its there 24/7. ASOS also give their customers a chance for them to email them at any time, explaining their problems if they are facing any. ASOS also reply back very professionally making sure they are giving out the best solution. Lastly, internet marketing gives the customers many opportunities for them to talk to other existing customers via chat rooms so that they can share their experience with one another. This is a benefit to the customers because they can talk to other customers and find out useful information and their views and opinions - consumer to consumer (c2c).

ASOS offer their customers many kinds of benefits, some which you don't get anywhere else. For instance they offer their customers delivery hours that suit them the best. Normally, online businesses do things according to themselves and what suits them best. But ASOS have changed a lot to make sure their customers feel more happy and satisfied by shopping with them. On their website they have a whole section under flexible delivery hours. They have FAQ (frequently asked questions), such as, "Has my order been shipped out yet", "An item is missing from my order", and "Do you deliver to work addresses". All these questions and many more are listed on their website that they believe their customers would ask them. And as soon as you click on them, your presented with more information, and they also have links that can be clicked on and followed for further more information. Below there is a print screen to show that ASOS have a section on the website that allows customers to find out more about the delivery service they provide, with a section on frequently asked questions.

This is a benefit of internet marketing that it provides to its customers because for instance if they made a purchase from a shop, and when they get home they realised there's a fault in it, they will have to make a revisit to that same shop to get the problem sorted. Whereas, internet marketing has grown so much that customers can sort out all their problems by sitting comfortably at home on their computers. 

Internet marketing offers customers far more than they think it does. They can always get themselves the best deals taking place at the moment and are kept updated about any thing new happening or about any latest fashion trends. This saves the customers from doing research themselves as they are presented with all the data already. Internet marketing is an inexpensive yet effective method and allows organisation to reach out to all their customers, who they can then interact with, making sure by doing this they can understand the needs, wants and most importantly the buying habits of their customers.

The Challenges Faced By Businesses Using Internet Marketing - P4

Although internet marketing has a large number of different benefits that it brings along with it for the organisation, it also has many disadvantages that it brings along with it too.

For instance online marketing is not free to set up or to start up and it can cost a lot just to get it running. The cost of all the hardware and software that is needed to get things going is very high. This also includes the cost of website designing, further maintenance of the website, and all the costs over time as well. This shows us that although internet marketing can give the business a lot of profit over time, however, at the start they will need twice as much just to get everything is position so that they can start their own online business. Also as technology is growing rapidly more and more businesses are starting up online so it is a very hard and tough competition because you will have to make your website the best without any flaws at all with it so that customers again and again come back to you without thinking of shopping from another website. You also get many new businesses trying to do something similar to businesses who are doing well in the market. This means they try and make their website look alike, or they may use the same colours, pictures and even the same design of another website so that they can attract their customers to their new website, because they will use someone else's ideas to snatch customers and persuade them to shop at their new website since they will try and make them believe that theirs is better and they are offering a lot more than other websites. This means that businesses have to make sure their website is secured and that their customers know about it too, so they can shop with them without any worries in mind. Another disadvantage of internet marketing is that many online shoppers expect something in free or for less, because if they go shopping at a shop, they will come across many offers and deals that the business is offering them which then makes them happy because they are saving some money and it persuades them to buy the product. So online businesses will have to offer something like that to their customers as well, otherwise they may lose all their customers because they prefer shopping somewhere where they get things for half the price or for free. Online businesses will also have to gain the trust of their customers as well because purchasing online means that customers have to give their personal details as well as their card details in order for the transaction to be completed. So customers will definitely have to feel safe and secure for them to give out such details without knowing how the data is been used on the other side of the screen. This shows us that businesses will have to work hard to gain the trust of the customers first and this can be done in many different ways. For example they can try and get to know their customers firsts by sending them emails every know and then keeping them informed about anything new that is happening with them. They can also provide a large choice for their customers to select from, which will show them that the organisation wants to do business with them that why they are spending so much money bringing in more that one choice to choose from. Another drawback of internet marketing is that its very hard to tell if the people on the other end are telling the truth or not. This means that there is so much information on the world wide web now that you cant judge what is right and what is wrong. This can be an disadvantage for online businesses because they have to work hard and meet their expectations of their customers because only then will they believe they are telling the truth and not lying. Also, customers will have to find out if what businesses say is what they really do and this can be bad for businesses as well because if customers don't believe the business and if they don't trust them how will they be able to do business with them and shop through them, they obviously are not going to then. Another disadvantage of internet marketing is that some people still believe its always better to go into the shop and purchase product like that because at least you can feel, touch and try the product on and then decide if you want to buy it or not. But if you are shopping online there is no way you can either touch, feel or try the product on so questions can arise in the customers mind deciding if they should or shouldn't make the purchase. So businesses will have to provide their customers with a lot of information about the product so they can read about it and make their decision, and also it will be helpful if the business can provide customers with video clips that they can watch so they can get a better idea of what the product will look like on them. Another drawback of internet marketing is the problem of trying to manage the overload of feedback that is sent back to businesses. This is hard work for businesses because they have millions of customers all around the globe and they all want the best customer service. For this to be possible they are going to send emails to the business letting them know how they feel about the services they are getting and also any complaints they have. This is going to give the business a lot of stress because they have to make sure they reply back to every single email solving all their problems. This can be a tough situation for the business as they can not even let one customers down. ASOS also send emails out to all their customers and they receive feedback as well. They will have to make sure they give a response mail back to them, as it will make the customers feel happy about the service they are getting. Even though there are many disadvantages and drawbacks about internet marketing, they can all be solved very easily and an organisation would never face these problems if they do everything right and by following a few steps. However, one should never forget that there are also many positive things, advantages and benefits of internet marketing to organisations as well, so it balances things out well.

Benefits Of Internet Marketing In Relation To Business Efficiency - P3

There are many different internet marketing benefits that businesses/organisation can use in relation to improve their efficiency. For example, the quickness of internet marketing is one major benefit that can be used in relation to their efficiency. This means customers are always aware of the latest that is going on in an organisation so they know all about any new stock that comes into their business because it doest take a long time for an online business to make any changes on their website because its so simple and easy to do that there wouldn't be any reason for them not to keep their customers up dated with all the latest happening. ASOS also keep their customers up to date about anything new that is happening with them and inform all their customers by either emailing them or by making any changes that will be necessary on their website. For instance if they get new stock in they will email all their customers letting them know about it and they will also put it up on their website for other people to see as well, just in case they might be interested. Another benefit of internet marketing in terms with efficiency is their 24/7 presence. This means that there is no time limit what so ever and customers can visit the website at any time of the day because there's no such thing as closing hours when a business is operating from online. This will improve the businesses efficiency because customers will be welcomed at any time to do their shopping online and they wont even face any problems and can shop in their own leisure. ASOS are also available 24/7 for their customers and this will improve their businesses efficiency because they don't have a closing time and customers will be shopping with them all the time rather than going to a shop as this way is more easier and simpler for them. Since internet marketing is not as expensive as other types of businesses, they save a lot of money which can also improve the businesses efficiency because they will have extra money which they can spend on other useful things to make more profit. This can include making the website look more presentable and eye catching or it can include buying more stock and of a variety for their customers. ASOS are also an online business and only operate from their onwards and they also save some money as well which they spend on buying new stock because they believe that customers should have a large amount of products to select from as thats what makes them happy, and it also ensures the business that they wont be losing any customers, instead they will be making new ones. Another benefit of internet marketing in relation to efficiency is the use of electronic communication that is possible between members of staff as well as customers. This reduces staff costs and therefore it benefits the business and improves its level of efficiency. ASOS also use electronic communication such as emails they send out to their existing customers. This reduces the amount of costs they make and the money they save can be used for more useful things, this then improves the efficiency levels at ASOS. Since any organisation can use the internet to monitor their competitors activities any time it improves their businesses efficiency because they will come to know about any new products or goods they have available to their customers, and they will also be able to visit their competitors web page to find out more information such as offers and deals they are offering their customers. This is a useful method that will improve a businesses efficiency since they will always be well ahead of the game. ASOS can use the internet easily to keep an eye on what their competitors such as Next, Dorothy Perkins are offering their customers and what new products they are in stock. ASOS can then compare what they haven't got and try to get hold of it so that their existing customers don't leave them for their competitors. Internet marketing is very beneficial in many different ways for businesses and it can prove to be profitable for them because it improves their performance levels and their efficiency.

Benefits Of Internet Marketing In Relation To Product Development - P3

There are many benefits of internet marketing and they can be used by businesses for a number of different things. Internet marketing can also be used in relation to product development (improving an existing product or developing new kinds of products), and there are many benefits that follow up with this. For instance, internet marketing gives an organisation many different sources that they can use in their process of product development. This will then make things easier for them as they are already supplied with necessary sources, which saves time for the organisation. Different sources will be extremely valuable and will allow the organisation to make good use of them so the product they are making developments to or the new product they are developing will be very successful in the market. Internet marketing allows an organisation to do their own research about anything thats going on in the market, and they can find a lot about customers and what sort of products are mostly famous at this point of time, so while they are doing their product development they can use all the information they have found out and apply it in ways that will be beneficial for them. Viral marketing is when a marketing message is sent by email to existing customers or to a target group, which is then forwarded by them to their friends, This cycle keeps going on and on and more people are being informed each time unknowingly promoting the business. This is a benefit to product development because when organisations are making certain developments to an existing product or when they are developing a fresh new idea to form a brand new product, they can use viral marketing to inform all their customers about their new product thats coming into the market. Customers will be informed about the launch of the product and since they were sent an email, they can always forward it to other people in their contacts and inform them to. The organisation will be getting free promotion this way and more people will be informed about the new product. This is a major benefit in relation to product development. ASOS use this type of method as they also send emails to their customers informing them about anything new thats happening to their business or about new products that are now available for customers to buy. This way ASOS use internet marketing in relation to product development. Another benefit of internet marketing in relation to product development is giving feedback. The way this is beneficial is that customers have the right to give a business their personal feedback to them about their products or their services they are providing. By giving feedback customers are telling businesses what they think is good about their products and what can be improved. Businesses can then take action and try to use the ideas their customers are giving them in developing their products. ASOS use this technique too as they allow their customers to give their own feedback to them, telling them what they thought about their service and most importantly their products. ASOS can then use this feedback and make certain developments to their products which will attract more customers, increasing sales. Another benefit of internet marketing that can be used for product development by businesses/organisations is very similar to the previous one about giving feedback. However this one differs a bit because it involves social websites that customers can go on to and make conversations about products they found interesting and what they believe should be changed about them, in order to make them better. This is helpful for businesses who want to make any product development as they can ask existing customers personally about their opinion through social websites that allow communication possible between them. ASOS are also very good at using this sort of method and as they allow their customers to join them on Facebook, Bebo and Twitter where they can openly give their opinion and make conversations. This can then be used by ASOS when they are making product developments, because they can easily ask their customers what changes they think they should make in order to attract more people in buying their products.  

Benefits Of Internet Marketing In Relation To Communication - P3

There are many different ways internet marketing can be used by businesses to communicate with its customers. For example:

Domain Name- a domain name is a memorable website address that the a business uses so that their customers can find them through the Internet. It is beneficial they keep their domain name as simple as possible because people wont find it hard to remember it. For instance ASOS use, ASOS.com, this is very simple yet effective and customers wont need to search their domain name up or write it down anywhere because its very simple, easy to remember and unique at the same time. Also businesses should try and promote their domain name very often so that people become very familiar with it. ASOS do this well as well, since they firstly kept their domain name very simple and promote it on other websites and on television too making it easier for their customers.

Search Engines- an easy way for customers to find a website is through search engines, like Google. When a new website is created by someone, its very vital they try and submit the domain name and its details to a search engine because it gives it more of a chance that people find what they are looking for. This is possible for people to do if they buy specialised software that can enable this task, and once its all done businesses can promote their website very easily through search engines. ASOS have used search engines well because every time you type ASOS into Google you are always given many websites that relate to ASOS and right at the top you will always get ASOS.com, which is their one and only website where customers can shop from.

Price Comparison Websites- there are many price comparison websites like Pricerunner and Kelkoo that can be used as a useful promotional tool for businesses as long as they are offering their customers a competitive price. ASOS sell celebrity like clothes at a very affordable price so their customers don't really need to take help from these price comparison websites in the first place.

Marketplaces- these are the smaller companies that try to create their own business using the help of other bigger and better businesses who are more developed and grown. An example of this is Amazon as they have many smaller businesses who sell their goods to them and also leave a link on their website which follows up to the place where the original product came from. ASOS do this as well because they do not make any products themselves, instead they purchase ready made goods and sell them on their website. People who are interested in these goods will then click onto them and normally some where on that page their is a link they can follow which takes them to the website that produces theses goods.   

Banners, Spotlights, Pop-Ups and Sponsored Links- these are the most common way of promoting a website on other websites. They are also known as online advertisements because once they are clicked on a new window browser page will open of the website that was clicked on displaying it. These adverts can either be animated or interactive. ASOS also use this kind of communication method as they are promoting their website on other websites and once clicked on, you will be taken to their home page which is ASOS.com.

Viral Marketing- this is when a marketing message is sent by email to existing customers or to a target group, which is then forwarded by them to their friends, This cycle keeps going on and on and more people are being informed each time unknowingly promoting the business. ASOS use this method as well because they send emails to their existing customers as well as a target group, which then gets forwarded by them forming a whole group of people. This sort of method is very popular as once the email has been sent off, it can spread very rapidly and at a low cost.

Another benefit of internet marketing in relation to communication is that businesses can use the customers purchase history to find out what sort of products they are interested in the most and using this information they can then make offers to them of products they will like, which increases their chances of purchasing.

What Are The Benefits Of Internet Marketing To Customers? - P2

Customers have gained a huge amount from the use of the internet. As the number of internet users are increasing all the time more and more will shop online. Listed below there are some benefits of internet marketing to customers.

There are many benefits of internet marketing to customers. For instance, their 24 hour presence allows customers to spend more time shopping not worrying about closing times or them been turned away as its closing time. ASOS are available to customers 24/7 which means customers can visit their website at any time of the day, because there's no time limit. Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is its convenience. For example its far more convenient for a person to research a product online, rather than getting into their car, drive somewhere and look for or ask someone for information about a product. However, internet marketing makes life a lot easier for the customer as they can do everything sitting comfortably at home instead of going elsewhere. Customers can visit ASOS from their homes which makes things a lot easier for them because they can do all their researching and shopping from home, and they don't even need a third persons help. By organisations offering their customers convenience, they also offer them value and satisfaction at the same time. This is because websites can offer more than just one thing to their customers, they put forward other things like, advice, more choices, and other general interests that can entertain their customers all the time. This then adds value and satisfies the customers because eventually they find what they were looking for. Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is that it allows them to search for what ever they are looking for freely. There's no restrictions what so ever. This then allows customers to look for the right products and goods they want. At ASOS they have a search engine into which customers can write what they are looking for and will be given searches that match their needs and wants. With this possible, it saves the customers time because they don't have to browse through a lot to find what they what, it sort of cuts their number of searches they have to do. Internet marketing also allows customers to compare prices using the internet, so that they get the best for cheap. This shows us that internet marketing saves the money of the customers as there are price comparing websites they can visit to find the best deal for the lowest amount of money. Buying over the internet is very quick, convenient and private which is another benefit to customers, because there's no driving away to buy what they need, nor do they have to battle their way through crowds or other customers for the same thing. Another benefit is that customers always stay updated through emails or through their website. This means product information is sent to customers always keeping them updated about anything new happening or any latest fashion trends. This is helpful to the customers as they will be aware of everything new going on. With the internet now becoming available to customers through their phones, they will be updated almost in real time. A major benefit of internet marketing is that is allows the customer to track their parcel any time. As customers pay for their product before they get it, its very important that customers feel reassured about this process. Many websites allow customers to track their parcel before it reaches them. This then makes them feel reassured and certain that they are obtaining a good mannered service. ASOS allows its customers to track their parcels from order, dispatch to transportation so that they feel their parcel is in the right hands and will get to them very soon. Another benefit of internet marketing to customers is that their power to bargain has increased because they can see the prices of a product on every website they wish to visit therefore they can let other websites, whose prices are higher compared to others, know that they will not be purchasing from them since they found another website who sells the same product but at a cheaper price. This then makes the other website change their prices to match their competitors as they don't wish to lose any more of their existing customers. This shows us that customers bargaining power increases as they can do this anytime they wish to. Since websites are updated all the time, even if the slightest change needs to be made, its beneficial for the customers because they are provided with up to date product information all the time. ASOS also make changes to their website all the time as well, and they give a lot of really detailed information out about their products to their customers. This is useful and helpful for the customers because they can read the information to get a better idea about it, which will increase their chances of making a purchase. Another benefit of internet marketing is that there is now a greater supply convenience through availability of responsive transaction facilities. This means that customers can purchase tickets for many different things by using the internet, making the purchase online and then printing the tickets out in their homes. They wont even need to step outside or even queue up for however long waiting to be served, because thanks to internet marketing all of this can be done at home without taking a third step outside. Also, internet marketing provides their customers with immediate online sales and services without any need of travelling. Customers can purchase anytime online, and they wont need to worry about them not having enough time to look through everything properly because there isn't a time limit at all. Also customers receive good customers service as well because if they are facing any problems they can send out emails, without having to stand in a queue waiting for their time to come so they can speak to the advisers and tell them their problems. Sending out emails can be done very quickly right there on the spot, so they wont even need to wait for a right time or anything because its there 24/7. ASOS also give their customers a chance for them to email them at any time, explaining their problems if they are facing any. ASOS also reply back very professionally making sure they are giving out the best solution. Lastly, internet marketing gives the customers many opportunities for them to talk to other existing customers via chat rooms so that they can share their experience with one another. This is a benefit to the customers because they can talk to other customers and find out useful information and their views and opinions - consumer to consumer (c2c).

Internet marketing offers customers far more than they think it does. They can always get themselves the best deals taking place at the moment and are kept updated about any thing new happening or about any latest fashion trends. This saves the customers from doing research themselves as they are presented with all the data already. Internet marketing is an inexpensive yet effective method and allows organisation to reach out to all their customers, who they can then interact with, making sure by doing this they can understand the needs, wants and most importantly the buying habits of their customers.

What Are The Benefits Of Internet Marketing To An Organistaion? - P1

An organisation has many benefits because of internet marketing. For instance internet marketing allows a business to reach all their customers anytime that to very quickly without any hurdles in their way. This can also be done very cheaply compared to other means. ASOS can directly interact with their customers by using the internet, through emails and by talking to them through social websites, such as Facbook and Bebo. All this is very easy for ASOS to do and it doest even cost them a lot and they reach all their customers without thinking twice about it. Once they have reached their customers they can simply find out about their needs and wants, which gives them an opportunity to learn about their customers. This is another benefit for businesses as well as ASOS because once they find out what their customers want and desire, they can provide them with it all. Another benefit of internet marketing is that it allows businesses to gain feedback from their customers very quickly, so they can use it to find out what can be improved how, and what is good about their business. ASOS allow their customers to give them valuable feedback as well, which is good fro them because their customers are able to tell them how they think they should improve their business to gain more customers. Internet marketing also allows a business to make new customers all the time and the reason for this is that more and more people are using the internet making it a world wide thing, so businesses have more benefits because they can send emails to their current customers who can then forward it to their friends and family making more people aware of their business. ASOS send out emails to their customers all the time keeping them up to date and informing them about any new products they have in stock, or simply just emailing them to give them news about the latest happening with their business. Then their customers who they have emailed can forward the email to their friends and family to inform them and the cycle keeps on going on and on. Another benefit of internet marketing is that its very quick to set up. This means businesses can put up adverts about their products very quickly informing all their customers about anything new happening. ASOS have adverts on other websites as well as on their own. This must be very time saving because professionals are hired to do this sort of job, which implies it must not take them no longer than 3-4 hours to put up an advert alerting all their customers. Another benefit of internet marketing to an organisation is that it gives them a wide range of things to choose from to do to their home page to attract more customers. For example it allows them to put up videos, make the page look interesting and it also allows them to add links which gives the customer more information about certain things they may be interested in. At ASOS they have videos of models cat walking clothes, which customers can pause, play, stop and zoom in and out from. This is a good thing, since customers can not try the product on as they are shopping online, but it gives them an idea about how the product will look on them and it also gives them a closer look of the product. Internet marketing allows 24 hours access, which means anyone can visit the website at anytime and can still make an purchase. This means there's no time limit on anything so any adverts that promote ones business are still doing their job all the time. This is an advantage for an organisation because customers can visit their website at anytime or the day and make an order, and there's nothing to stop them because there isn't a closing time like there is for shops. Internet marketing gives long lasting results which is another benefit for an organisation. This means unlike printing advertisements where you have to pay for every advert you want to put up, internet marketing offers long lasting results because the adverts an organisation puts up will always remain there unless they are removed by the organisation themselves, otherwise no one can tamper with anything.

Internet marketing offers businesses an inexpensive yet effective method of reaching out to all their customers, who then can interact with them making new customers and by doing this they can understand the needs, wants and most importantly the buying habits of their customers.

What Is 'Disintermediation' And Does It Help Producers? - P1

Disintermediation is the process of removing the middleman in a supply chain. By removing the middleman from the picture it reduces unnecessary costs been made all the time. Distribution channels always consist of  wholesalers, agents, retailers and manufacturers, however by cutting th middleman out you can interact directly to your customers as nothing gets in the way. This saves a lot of time, money and is more reliable and trustworthy.

There are many businesses out there who prefer to get rid of the middleman as it makes things more accurate and reliable. ASOS have also removed their middleman because when an order is made, goods are delivered straight from their warehouse and are sent to their customers. No third person is needed to make this process possible. 

Disintermediation can be very helpful in many different ways, and as ASOS use this process they are also in advantage as it helps them a lot. For example, it saves a lot of time because to get the goods to the right place the only thing ASOS have to do is send the package of and it directly reaches the right person. If a third person was needed to make this possible, unnecessary costs would be made as it is still possible to do without someone else's help. Disintermediation will also save a businesses profits, because if they did not remove the middleman, they would have to pat them to get the work done, and as ASOS use disintermediation, it will definitely save their money which they can then use on much better things that will improve their business. Lastly, since ASOS do not use a middleman to get their goods to the right customer, it definitely impresses their customers because they promise next day delivery yet they do not use a third person to make that happen. This then shows customers what a developed and well maintained business ASOS is.