Top 10 Internet marketing Strategy issues

We wrote this from the perspective not just of e-retailers, but also other types of online business
such as publishers, consumer brands, charities, and business-to-business relationship-building
organizations.

Internet marketing strategy Issue:

1. The E-marketing planning process

The integration of e-marketing-specific objectives, strategies and activities into the traditional
annual marketing planning process.

2. Organizing and resourcing for e-marketing

As the importance of online channels increases, the structure of the marketing organization and
responsibilities may need to change to maximize the opportunities available through new media.

3. Defining the Online value proposition (OVP)

To achieve increased customer usage of online channels (web, e-mail, wireless), a distinct,
detailed differentiated proposition must be developed for these online channels and it must be
clearly communicated online and offline.

4. E-brand value

How does the Internet contribute to and influence brands?

5. Setting the e-communications mix

Defining the proportion of online spend on different elements of the communications mix.

6. E-mail marketing integration (Touch strategy)

Integrating different forms of marketing e-mail, i.e. rented list, house list e-blasts, service e-mails
and e-newsletters with traditional communications, i.e. direct mail, advertising, etc to achieve
maximum response.

7. E-CRM

Using online channels (web, e-mail, wireless messaging linked to customer databases) to build
and deepen relationships with customers.

8. Building and exploiting customer knowledge

Customer knowledge is profiling information and research characterising customers including

their characteristics, communications preferences, behaviours and perception of service.
9. E-marketing automation

Developing personalized marketing messages delivered by web and e-mail in response to

customer events and behaviours.

10. E-channel optimization

Developing a continuous improvement process to monitor the effectiveness of web and e-mail
marketing.

So how have these strategies issues changed in the past 2 years, and how do they compare to
IMRG priority issues? From the strategy workshops I run as part of consulting I think this list
holds up well. There are close links between my top 10 issues and IMRG e-retail priority issues.
Specifically, many of my strategy issues can be thought of performance drivers to achieve the
main 3 issues from the IMRG study of customer acquisition, conversion and retention.