Introduction to the digital marketing channel
Marketing channels as a medium should be aware of the changing preferences of human psychology. No channel that is not in tune with the customers' expectations can exist without being bound to fail at some point. This is where digital marketing channel becomes crucial
The present and future of designing marketing channels; the digital marketing practices. Retail sales over the web have exploded in recent years and only seem to increase. There are two essential elements associated with digital marketing channels.
- e-commerce channel
- m-commerce channel
A note to be remembered here is some of the information here overlaps with the concepts revisited in the advertising and promotion block. I will advise you to read it and the other to get a better understanding and a broader picture.
Before we go to the benefits of digital marketing, I will define what e-commerce and m-commerce marketing practices are.
E-commerce as a digital marketing channel
As the name clearly explains, the marketing channel that uses the interconnected web to reach customers is e-commerce marketing. The culmination of all digital ad campaigns undertaken by a firm is bringing the customer to a channel to make the sale. This endeavour is known as e-commerce marketing practises.
M-commerce as a digital marketing channel
It is a subset of the e-commerce channel. While e-commerce is an all-encompassing superset involving the entirety of the channel on the web, m-commerce focuses on one aspect of the channel, the mobile phone aspect.
The channel design strategies for e-commerce and m-commerce platforms cannot be the same. There should be specific fine-tuning that will be needed for strategizing bandwidth issues and speed of access across the traditional computer and the mobile device.
Why do customers prefer digital marketing channel platforms?
The main reason for channel design strategists to channel their energies towards designing a robust digital platform is the inherent desire of the people to favour this channel. There are a few reasons for the popularity of e-commerce channels:
- Convenient: the channel is easy to access by both customers wanting to buy and retailers wishing to sell
- Informative: The entire product information is available at the click of the mouse
- Personalised: E-commerce channels can provide for personalised products
- Price Check: customers can instantaneously check the prices offered by the competitors
Types of Digital Marketing Channel Practices
Broadly the e-commerce marketing companies are divided into two types:
- Pure click companies
- Brick and click companies
Pure-Click Companies
These companies are thrust into existence based on a website and have previously had no experience as a firm. Examples of these channels include search engines, intellectual content sites, transaction sites and enabler sites.
Amazon's entry into e-commerce can be thought of as a pure-click company initially as it just facilitated the customers to reach businesses.
Most companies make inroads into the e-commerce strategy first and then launch an app and make their presence felt in the m-commerce stage.
Brick and Click Companies
These were traditionally mortar companies in a building but had to launch the e-commerce channel later to arrive at a hybrid method of reaching out to customers. One famous example of brick and click company is the popular brand Walmart. Initially, only a brick company had to incorporate a holistic omnichannel digital marketing strategy for increased reach.
Digital Marketing Channels Success factors
Certain factors ensure the success of e-commerce and m-commerce marketing channels. While there is a rush to exploit the human need to make a presence on the web, the following should be kept in mind before venturing into the digital channels.
- Ensure the security and privacy of the customers remain intact
- Design the website to make navigation through the site a memorable experience
- Make the website fast and simple
- Enable an online chatbot to provide for a modicum of assistance on the website
These are a few steps that can ensure that the e-commerce entry of firms can be a huge success
Conclusion
There is a mad rush to make one's presence felt on the web. However, the design of digital marketing channels needs to be done with utmost care as the two-edged sword; it can attract customers or drive them away.
M-commerce and e-commerce are factors that any company aspiring to reach maximum customers cannot ignore. The prime concern with this channel is the privacy issues that can crop because of data being shared continuously.
Along with this chapter, do read the managing digital communications chapter from advertising and promotions block to get a holistic picture.