Web Science Stream

1. Web Science Stream Strategies for Marketing, Sales, and Promotion

2. Creating an Effective Web Presence • Businesses always create a presence in the physical world by building stores and office buildings. • The only contact that customers and other stakeholders have with a firm on the Web is through its presence there. • Creating an effective Web presence can be critical even for the smallest and newest firm operating on the Web.

3. Why is it so important? • 97 Million People Online • $7 Trillion This Year • 50 Times More Than 1999 • 1 Billion Emails Each Day in US • Doubling Every 17 Months • Within 5 to 10 Years expected to double every 11 Hours

4. The situation today …

5. Online vrs Traditional marketing • Consumers Want Time Savers • Education & Research • People Communicate Differently

6. Revenue Models • Web Catalogue Revenue Models • Digital Content Revenue Models • Advertising Supported Revenue Models • Advertising-Subscription Mixed Revenue Models • Fee-for-Transaction Revenue Models • Fee-for-Service Revenue Models

7. Web Catalogue Revenue Models • 130 year old idea • Mail Order catalogue revenue model • Seller • establishes a brand name • using brand strength to sell through catalogs • order via a toll-free number or website • important for the web-weary • Computers, consumer electronics, books, music, videos, luxury goods, clothing , flowers and gifts • http://www.amazon.com

8. Digital Content Revenue Models • Reduction of Printing costs • Reduction of fees charged • Examples • Legal research tools • Doctoral dissertations and masters thesis • Journals and Books • First pioneers where sellers of adult digital content! • http://search.epnet.com/

9. Advertising Supported Revenue Models • As used by network televisions • Sales grew by 1998 but reached a plateau in 2000 • Now improving gradually • Major problems • No standard for advertising charges • few web sites have enough visitors to interest advertisers • Examples: Web Portals, Newspaper publishers, Niche Market sites • http://www.timesofmalta.com/

10. Advertising-Subscription Mixed Revenue Models • Subscribers pay a fee and accept a limited amount of advertising • Used by distinguished newspapers • New York Times • Wall Street Journal • Others provide free access to recent news but charge a fee for archived news • Others require subscription to print version for access to entire site • http://www.nytimes.com/

11. Fee-for-Transaction Revenue Models • Fee charged based on number/size of transaction • Disintermediation • removal of middle-men in selling • ReIntermediation • Use of fee-for-transcation sites in selling • Examples • Travel Agents • Automobile Sales • Stockbrokers • Insurance Brokers • Event Tickets • Real Estate and Mortgage Loan Brokers • Online banking and Financial Services • http://www.hsbc.com.mt/ • http://www.bov.com/

12. Fee-for-Service Revenue Models • Fee charged based on value of service provided • Examples • Online Games • Streaming of Concerts and Films • Professional Services • limited by state-licensed professions • http://www.java.com/en/

13. Revenue Models in Transition • Subscription to Advertising-Supported • Microsoft Slate Magazine • Advertising-Supported to Advertising-Subscription • Salon.com • Advertising-Supported to Fee-forServices • XDrive • Advertising-Supported to Subscription • Northern Light • Multiple Transitions • Encyclopedia Brittanica • info-seller to advertising-supported to advertising subscription models

14. Revenue Strategy Issues • Channel Conflict and Cannibalization • competition between different selling channels • Strategic Alliances and Channel Distribution Management • companies join in an activity over a long period of time (Amazon) • web portals and web services • Mobile Commerce • Growing, but not as fast as expected

15. Identifying Web Presence Goals • On the Web, businesses have the luxury of intentionally creating a space that creates a distinctive presence. • A Web site can perform many image-creation tasks very effectively, including: • Serving as a sale brochure • Serving as a product showroom • Showing a financial report • Posting an employment ad • Serving as a customer contact point

16. Achieving Web Presence Goals • An effective site is one that creates an attractive presence that meets the objectives of the business or other organization. • Possible objectives include: • Attracting visitors to the Web site • Making the site interesting enough • Convincing visitors to follow the site’s links • Creating an impression of corporate image • Building a trusting relationship with visitors • Reinforcing positive images of the organization • Encouraging visitors to return to the site.

17. The Toyota Site • The Toyota site is a good example of an effective Web presence. • The site provides: • A product showroom feature • Links to detailed information about each product line • Links to dealers • Links to information about company • http://www.toyota.com/

18. Quaker Oats • Quaker Oats has created Web sites that did not offer any corporate presence until 1999. • In 1999, Quaker Oats changed its Web page to improve its general appearance and user-friendliness. • The Toyota and Quaker Oats examples illustrate that the Web can integrate an opportunity for enhancing the image of a business with the provision of information.

19. Quaker Oats in 1998

20. Quaker Oats in 2002

21. Quaker Oats in 2002

22. Not-for-Profit Organizations • A key goal for many not-for-profit organizations is information dissemination. • The combination of information dissemination and a two-way contact channel is a key element in any Web site. • The American Civil Liberties Union and American Red Cross have created effective Web presences. • Political parties and museums also use Web site for their image presences.

23. How the Web is Different • The failure to understand how the Web is different from other presence-building media is one reason that businesses fail to achieve their Web objectives. • Firms must use the Web’s capability for two-way, meaningful communication with their customers.

24. Meeting the Needs of Web Site Visitors • Businesses that are successful on the Web realize that every visitor to their Web site is a potential customer. • Creating a Web site that meets the needs of visitors with a wide range of motivations can be challenging. • Technology variation can be another concern to Web presence.

25. Meeting the Needs of Web Site Visitors • A good Web site should give the visitor the option to select smaller versions of the images. • A good site design lets visitors choose among information attributes, such as level of detail, forms of aggregation, viewing format, and downloading format. • Flash Debate

26. Trust and Loyalty • When customers buy a product, they are also buying that service element. • A seller can create value in a relationship with a customer by nurturing customers’ trust and developing it into loyalty. • Customer service is a problem for many corporate sites. • A primary weak spot for many sites is the lack of integration between the companies’ call centers and their Web sites.

27. Customer-Centric Web Site Design • Design site according to visitor’s navigation, not company organization • Avoid jargon and business terms • Cater for low-end clients • Consistent features and colours • Visible text and navigation controls • Test colour combinations for colour blind visitors

28. 10 Marketing Tips • Grab ‘em • Don’t mix messages • Feature a call to action • Retain your branding • Make it easy to contact you • Use expected colors and imagery • Optimize for search engines • Feature testimonials • Focus on the visitor • Adopt a privacy policy

29. Grab’em • A goodheadline… • Is focused on the visitor, with words such as “you” and “your” • Is the dominant element on the home page • Appears larger than even your logo, company name or tagline

30. Don’t mix messages • Be clear • Feature what you offer • Use pictures • Use relevant text • Link directly from those images on the home page to detailed pages withextensive informationand more pictures

31. Always observe the 1-2-3 rule 1 – 2 – 3 … I’m ‘Outta Here! • Can visitors find whatever they want within “3’ clicks? • Based on experimental results.

32. Feature a clear call to action • Tell the site visitor, on the home page, exactly what you want them to do • Visitors will read your site content at length if it answers their questions • Be sure to ask for the business at the end of the page or article (get to the point)

33. Retain your branding • Building upon your existing brand identity is key to immediately establishing trust… • These elements need to be consistent with your brand’s off-line identity… • Brand logo • Brand name • Key messaging • Graphics

34. Make it easy to contact you • Your visitors don’t want to dig for the basics, so make sure it’s easy to find the following: • Telephone numbers • Contact forms (mini and full) • E-mail links • Physical address of your place of business in an easy to copy format

35. Make it even easier to contact you • E-mail Signature w/ Contact • Hyperlink to Your Site • Peak Interest w/ Free Offers • Focused E-mail Subject Line

36. No surprises • Use industry-appropriatecolorandimagery • Give your visitors what they expectexactly as they expect it • Don’t attempt to re-brand your industry • This is your opportunityto beconsistentandprofessional at the beginning of the sales process

37. Optimise for search engines • Search engine optimization is the art and science of increasing your website’s visibility in the major search engines across a strategically defined set of keywords and phrases that apply to your products or services • An estimated 77 percent of Internet users employ search engines to find Web sites • 20,000 Search Engines & Directories • If you are not listed on Google or Yahoo, you are invisible • It doesn’t matter how well known your brand is! • Visitors will not guess your site name but will go through Google or Yahoo just to be safe

38. But how to market to Search Engines? • Unique Content • Links to Your Site (ask!) • Design Fundamentals make a difference • Top Search Engines by Search Share, January 2005, U.S., Home & Work Search EngineSearches* in thousandsShare of Total Searches Google Search 1,923,153 47% Yahoo! Search 868,174 21% MSN Search 523,188 13% Total 4,085,880 81% • Note: Searches are the total number of queries conducted at a search engine during the specified reporting period, excluding internal site searches.

39. Search Engines count in links … • Search Enginesmeasure popularity through links • Don’t be a copycat – unique content matters

40. Speak the Search Engine language • Find out what you are saying to the search engines • Keyword Density • Bloggers Linking to you? • Test Your Web Site Here:http://www.schipul.com/en/sem/keywords/

41. Buy your way to the top …

42. Get a hand from popular sites … • Often overlookedquality links • Make sure your link – is done right! • Organization sites typically rank well.

43. Feature Testimonials • Assure visitors that you are a“real” companywith asolid reputation • Gain client approval to use a quote • Even better, use client logos and link to their Web sites • Never assume that everyone knows you want their business

44. Focus on the visitor • Cater towhat the visitor wants and needs from your site, then give it to them… • If you are a association, offeronline registration and case studies • If you are a plastic surgeon, offerdynamic before-and-after photo galleries • If you are targeting the younger generation, offer games or social software tools (myspace.com) that feature your brand

45. Adopt a privacy policy • Respect the privacy of your site visitors with a privacy policy • Link to a written privacy policy at the bottomof every page • Be sure policy is written in normal language, not legalese

46. Come back … • How to make people return to your site? • What’s New Section • Ask The Expert or FAQ • Testimonials • E-Zines (information rich & focused) • Giveaways, Surveys & Contests

47. E-Zines • E-Zinez.com & EzineQueen.com • Speed to Market • Low cost – No Cost – Low Risk! • Wide Distribution • Easy & Effective • As easy as • A) Copy Format & Text • B) Cut & Paste Your Message • C) Test & Send BCC

48. E-Zine Subscribers • Existing Customer Database • Give something For FREE • Opt-in Sign Up On Web site • Buy E-mails From List Companies • Articles Featuring Your Expertise • Publicity • Post On E-zine Directories

49. Website R.I.P • Dead Links • Site or Page Under Construction • Too Many Fancy Graphics/Gadgets • Backgrounds Take Too Long To Load • Mixed Messages and Scroll Bars • Burying Your Message • Overall Unprofessional Image

50. Time for time travelling … • Thanks to the Way Back Machine • http://www.archive.org/web/web.php