E-marketing and Benefits Discussed

It will be really absurd for one to suggest that the internet and internet related technologies are not playing a major impact on the ways in which we work and live. the existence of the known electronic commerce is described as being the most important challenge to the business structure since the existence of the information technology Stanfield Mark and Grant Kevin (2003). The small medium sized enterprise (SME'S) plays an important role in many economies round the world. For them to ensure their stability and future survival, they need to successfully adopt and utilize the internet and electronic commerce. The internet notwitstanding is providing a great opportunity to companies of all sizes in differnt ways like: expanding their marketing place, improving the speed and quality of their processes and creating highly specialised businesses most importantly, their buying and selling structure. The smaller companies can have access to the same global market place as large companies with the use of electronic commerce irrespective of size and location.
In the past fifteen years there has been in immense technological development in the field of e-commerce. Internet has altered the way traditional marketing practices have been conducted until now. The internet can provide information instantly whereas before it could take days, with data exchanged simultaneously on all aspects of business. The use of internet has altered the way traditional marketing research has been conducted until now; it has provided the facilities to accommodate better market research and exchange of information between managers and executives on a global level. According to McDaniel and Gates (2002) the benefits of the internet in the market research field are:

• Low cost – online surveys cost less compared to traditional research techniques, i.e. telephone interviews.
• Global reach – provided that a big percentage of the world population has got access to the internet, surveys can be sent instantaneously to many recipients.
• Flexibility – respondents are able to take part in the survey after work or on free time and have the option to pause and continue later, which leads to higher response rate.

For a small or large organisation the use of e-marketing can be very beneficial. The low cost of e-marketing allows a company to become a global marketer from an early stage with the use of internet. For example, low cost airlines, such as easyJet and Ryanair have become successful by conducting business solely using the web, by having paperless offices, reduced number of staff and e-ticketing. This has a created a new successful type of model that has become profitable by minimising costs and using the internet as the main tool of conducting business. Other successful businesses that have seen high profit are amazon.com and ebay.com that have identified a niche market and made maximum use of the web.

Communications with the customers are cheaper and more effective. E-marketing allows consumers not just to buy products or services, but also to comment on the process of purchase. This enables marketers to know the product’s position in the market. Consequently, marketers are able to build and maintain effective communications with both local and international customers, suppliers and distributors. The use of online feedback has the potential to increase customer satisfaction, companies are aware of consumers’ responses and are able to adapt to their needs by altering, deleting and providing a better product that fulfils consumers’ needs better than before.

Moreover, the internet can enable business-to-business marketing from overseas, for example Europe, Asia or America, without necessarily having to visit the country to establish relations. The use of web conferencing, e-mail and online video calling has decreased costs substantially, meetings are taking place online rather than having to travel thousands of miles away.

The web is a better place for advertising and promotion, because the audience around the world is able to receive the message transmitted, via the company’s website, as the number of internet users is increasing steadily year by year. The use of online communications can help to raise awareness and can reach a larger number of the target-market across the globe. Also, it can increase the effectiveness of the marketing communications by targeting specific segments that visit websites relevant to the product.

References
McDaniel, C. and Gates, R. (2002) Market Research: The Impact of the Internet, JN: John Wiley

Stansfield M., Grant K. (2003) An Investigation Into Issues Influencing The Use of The nternet and Electronic Commerce Among Small-Medium Sizes Enterprises: Journalof Electronic Commerce Research Vol. 4(1) p. 15