Exa News Update - August 2010 - Five Lessons Learnt from Online Marketing History

1. Marketing is Measurable with Search Engine Marketing

The rise of search engines has seen more measurability in the execution of marketing activity. In having websites highly ranked and visible in search engine results, businesses have discovered that there is a clear measureable correlation between ranking and inbound sales queries.

Many businesses have now learnt to incorporate Search Engine Marketing (SEM) techniques to achieve a favourable Return on Investment (ROI) on their marketing dollar. Online banner advertising, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) have became part of SEM techniques. Now, websites are a balance between product and service information and targeted search engine practices to remain relevant whilst achieving measurable results.

2. Page Ranking on Google Means Business

Although Google was founded in 1998, it was in 2001 when Google became more than your average search engine. The off-page factors (such as page rankings, hyper link analysis and keyword strategies) as well as on-page usability has enabled Google to gain a loyal following and dominate global search engine competition.

Businesses quickly learnt that they had to target their intended audience in Google more than any other search engine. From Google search results, businesses could distinctly see that users weren't willing to go further than the first or second page to find relevant information; and so had to adapt if they were to attract more business.

3. Communicate Directly with your Target Market with Email Marketing

The last ten years has seen the convenience of email lead to widespread direct advertising. With consumer permission, businesses discovered they could actually communicate directly with their target market though email marketing. They could now promote products or services more effectively, on a more personal level or even entice consumers to a website for purchase.

More than half of all internet users now check their email accounts each day, increasing the value of direct communication on a daily basis. Constant interaction via email has become a normality. With fast and efficient email contact, businesses have enhanced their customer relations and re-established consumption habits in a direct manner.

4. Engage with your Customers with Social Media

Social media and networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were devised for personal online communication but have become appealing to marketers for commercial use. The ability to globally communicate and advertise via the personal online medium has become a highly effective business tool.

In the past six years, social media use has risen dramatically with 9.9 million Australians now engaging with some form of social media per month. Now, a company website, Facebook page and Twitter account seems standard. The online social sphere is a place to share business ideologies and personally connect with consumers like never before.

5. Catch your Moving Market with Mobile Marketing

It was the year 2000 that saw the rise of the Short Message service (SMS) and shortly after, mobile marketing. The mobile device was a legitimate advertising channel, enabling marketers to easily communicate with consumers through a wireless network. MMS, Bluetooth and Infrared techniques became part of this marketing domain, paving the way for effective mobile communication.

When the internet went mobile later in the same year, it was every marketer's dream. Mobile phone models like the popular iPhone had built-in web browsers, allowing users internet access at any time and in any location. What was once restricted to the desktop was now available across the mobile network.

More than 22 million Australians now have a mobile device; with the iPhone and Android models offering the latest technologies. The mobile domain has become a place to interact and connect with consumers 24/7; a place for guaranteed communication.

A Decade of Online Marketing Growth

Today, SEM, email marketing, social media and mobile marketing have been integrated into the wider online sphere and have become applicable for almost any product or service. The past decade of internet marketing has given birth to the Google monopoly and the development and growth of web solutions company, Exa.

Exa is celebrating ten years of effective online marketing and like its giant internet marketing counterpart, Google, Exa has steadily expanded. Exa's internet marketing services help take businesses to the next level, facilitating consumer engagement and product and service promotion via SEO, email marketing, eCommerce and social media techniques. Exa utilises the latest marketing techniques and technologies to deliver the competitive edge required to succeed now and in the future.