Over the slump and through the downturn…to online marketing we go

Online marketing is boomeranging back from seasons of over-hype to a more realistic, yet nowhere paltry level. According to DoubleClick's survey Spring 2002 Marketing Spending Index, online marketing will get a 9 percent boost relative to other channels.

This week, the Interactive Advertising Bureau released two new case studies revealing that traditional marketers can experience increased sales and brand awareness just by making online advertising 10 to 15% of total marketing budgets and reducing allocations to more costly advertising mediums, such as television.

63% of companies are planning to implement online sales and marketing efforts in 2003, according to Patrick Marketing Group. Online advertising is catching up to traditional media such as direct mail, which 67% plan to engage in.

Worldwide, online marketing is expected to rise 11.7% in the top five global markets this year, according to a new survey report by London Business School. More advertisers are shifting back to or heading to the Internet to brand, obtain users and increase sales.

Your company may not be one of the first to jump back into the "web wagon" and are still holding those ad dollars back for other "lower risk" formats. But, in order to grow, apprehension must at some point give way to industry. Reports from the 2002 holiday season show that sales rose healthily during the commerce season - in fact, 78 percent of catalogers increased their holiday Internet sales in 2002 according to a Direct Marketing Association survey.

Online ad agency and technology firm Avenue A is finally showing profit and credits it to an increased shift from traditional to online advertising.

Brian McAndrews, Avenue A's chief executive, said, "The reason [for the positive results] was largely existing clients increasing spending as they figure out that Internet advertising works. From a macro level, if you don't advertise online you're leaving too much of your target audience untouched." (InternetNews.com)

An Enterpulse study of 'heavy' Internet users found that 66 percent never return to a website where they have a negative experience. Factors influencing a negative experience include ease-of-use, being out of date and simple navigation. As we know, search is fundamental to user satisfaction and relevant search is the gift you give your site visitors that gives back to your business.

Reach out and communicate with your audience through the appealing array of online ad formats, including stars like email and rich media, but before you launch, don't forget the landing point of your online audience - your website.

Marrying your online marketing campaign with a well functioning, dynamic and searchable website will yield higher conversion rates, better branding and sales potential. So plan that online strategy but strive for site relevancy before you launch.