What Is Web Marketing? Basic Knowledge and Measures

Web marketing is a marketing activity using the web (Internet), and refers to a series of efforts to create a sales system using the web.

There are a wide variety of web marketing measures, such as SEO, internet advertising, and content marketing.

It is no exaggeration to say that people’s lives today are linked to the Internet. Web marketing is the main axis of business and has a very important role.

Nevertheless, the reality is that many people cannot answer well if asked again, “What is web marketing?”

Therefore, in this article, we will explain in detail from the basics about “web marketing”, which can be said to be the most important in any business.

Points of this article
Acquire basic knowledge of web marketing Explanation of specific measures for web marketing Tips for successful web marketing

It is recommended for those who want to know the basics of web marketing, or want
to acquire practical knowledge as a person in charge of web marketing.

If you read this commentary to the end, you will be able to systematically understand “what is web marketing” as well as the advantages and disadvantages of web marketing.

From today’s practical work, you will be able to understand how to work on web marketing, and it should be easier to achieve solid results.

Let’s get started with web marketing.

In particular, if you want to know about the types of Internet advertising (web advertising), please refer to the following materials.

What is web marketing

First of all, I will explain from the basic knowledge of web marketing.

Web marketing is the creation of a sales system that utilizes the Web.

In a nutshell, what is web marketing ?

Marketing activities that use the Internet in general are called web marketing, and the following are synonyms:

▼ Web marketing synonyms

Scope of web marketing

A question that we often receive in web marketing is,
“Specifically, from where to where is the scope of web marketing?
“

In short, all marketing that uses the web falls within the scope of web marketing.

For example, the scope of web marketing is very diverse, such as SEO, Internet advertising, content marketing, webinars, and AI chatbots.

Each method will be explained in detail later in this article, but first of all , let’s remember that
“all marketing that uses the Internet falls under the category of web marketing .”

The difference between web marketing and digital marketing

A word similar to web marketing is “digital marketing”.

When asked, “What is the difference between web marketing and digital marketing?”, digital marketing covers a wider range.

Digital marketing is “creating a sales system that utilizes digital technology and digital data”. Digital marketing is not necessarily limited to online.

Even if you are offline, if you use digital technology and digital data, it can be said to be digital marketing.

However, it is also true that most digital marketing is actually done online.

Therefore, in practice, digital marketing and web marketing are often used almost synonymously.

Web marketing is important for every company

In the past, web marketing was strongly associated with companies that have EC sites or companies that develop online services.

However, in the 2020s and beyond, web marketing is important for every company.

Because the barrier between online and offline is disappearing in the first place .

The situation called “OMO” where online and offline are fused is becoming established.

For example, even for products that are only sold in offline physical stores, modern consumers gather information on the Internet before purchasing.

Alternatively, anyone can search the Internet for the menus and reviews of privately-owned restaurants in the corner of town.

In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that all marketing activities are now connected to the web, and web marketing is essential for all companies .

Benefits of web marketing

What are the benefits of web marketing? Here are three benefits.

Advantage 1: Measures can be implemented and improved quickly

The first advantage is that measures can be implemented and improved quickly .

When comparing online and offline, online is overwhelmingly superior in “speed”. Consider advertising as an example.

For example, advertisements in paper media such as newspapers and magazines require a physical lead time for printing and delivery.

In addition, since human intervention is essential when arranging these, lost time will occur due to communication and confirmation.

On the other hand, Internet advertising is used in web marketing, and it can be said that Internet advertising can deliver information the fastest among all advertisements.

This is because, in extreme cases, Internet advertisements can be delivered within minutes after deciding to deliver them. This is because you can do non-stop from applying for advertisements to delivery procedures yourself from the management screen.

This is an example of advertising, but speed is a big advantage of web marketing in every scene.

Advantage 2: Reduce costs

The second advantage is that you can achieve high efficiency while keeping costs down .

In web marketing, basically everything is completed digitally and there are no physical “things”.

Naturally, the costs can be kept to a minimum.

The cost of web marketing is about the cost of an internet connection and a computer.

Of course, there are other costs depending on what you do, but the costs themselves are usually cheaper than offline marketing.

If you want to keep costs down and get results, you should actively engage in web marketing.

Advantage 3: Fine targeting is possible

The third advantage is that “fine targeting is possible”.

Interacting with users via the web is nothing less than being able to use digitized user behavior data .

What’s more, the data contains a wealth of information about hobbies and interests, such as “What do you like, what are you interested in, and what are you having trouble with right now?” It’s clogged.

It goes without saying that targeting is important in marketing, but web marketing enables more specific and deep targeting.

As a result, it becomes possible to provide products and services optimized for each user and communicate, which directly leads to improved business performance.

Disadvantages of web marketing

On the other hand, online marketing also has its disadvantages. Let’s take a look at the downsides of web marketing.

Disadvantage 1: Requires skill acquisition and updating

The first disadvantage is that “in order to practice, it is necessary to acquire skills and update knowledge” .

Earlier, I told you that the cost can be reduced as an advantage of web marketing.

However, although the cost can be reduced, “learning” is necessary on the other hand. Moreover, once you learn and master it, it’s not the end, you have to keep updating forever.

This is because web marketing changes rapidly due to the emergence of new digital technologies and the ability to instantly reflect trends.

If you do it in-house, you need to ensure that you have enough human resources.

If that is difficult, you will have to outsource to a company with knowledge of web marketing and get external support.

Disadvantage 2: There is a risk of causing trouble if the person in charge does not have literacy

The second disadvantage is that “there is a risk of causing trouble if the person in charge does not have literacy . “

This is because “flaming” is one of the risks of web marketing.

Of course, whether online or offline, if you treat users and customers inappropriately, trouble will occur.

However, in web marketing, it is necessary to consider the risk of troubles becoming “flames” and spreading to third parties other than the parties.

In recent years, in particular, there have been an increasing number of cases where the Internet has gone up in flames due to values ​​that cannot be quantified, such as “literacy,” “manners,” and “common sense.”

Web marketing personnel are required not only to acquire pure web marketing skills, but also to have the literacy to avoid actions that lead to fire.

Web marketing method 1: Improving awareness and attracting customers

The actual methods of web marketing can be broadly divided into measures for improving awareness and attracting customers and measures for developing and nurturing customers.

First of all, let’s introduce the measures for improving awareness and attracting customers.

▼ Web marketing measures to improve awareness and attract customers

(1) SEO (search engine optimization)

The first web marketing method is “SEO (search engine optimization)” .

SEO (search engine optimization) is a general term for techniques that work to display a specific web page at the top of search results on search engines such as Google .

SEO strategies can be broadly divided into two categories. “Internal measures” and “External measures”.

• Internal measures = Improve your site itself, such as content and HTML description, to make it easier to be evaluated by search engines
• External measures = Collect backlinks from external sites and improve the evaluation of your site

If you can display your own page at the top of the search results of search engines through these measures, you can expect an influx of users from the search results.

It can be said that SEO is a useful method as a method of attracting customers without spending advertising expenses.

(2) Internet advertising

The second web marketing method is “internet advertising” .

Internet advertising is a general term for advertisements that use the Internet, and is characterized by the distribution of advertisements on the Internet, such as on websites, search engines, and SNS.

Unlike conventional mass advertising such as television, radio, and newspapers, it is possible to finely narrow down the distribution target based on digital data. As a result, it is more cost effective.

Specific types of Internet advertising include:

▼ Main types of Internet advertising

Listing advertisement	Show ads related to the search terms entered into the search engine in search results
affiliate advertising	Website and blog operators collaborate with advertisers to post pay-per-performance ads
SNS advertisement	Ads provided by SNS such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
native advertising	Ads displayed on news sites, etc., in a form that looks like part of the content

(3) Content marketing

The third web marketing method is “content marketing” .

Content marketing is a marketing method that aims to attract customers and improve customer loyalty by providing useful content to users .

Specifically, we will have our own media and will transmit “content that is beneficial to users” that is different from advertising and product information.

For example, this article you are reading right now is also owned media content.

The mechanism of content marketing is to increase the number of accesses to that content by providing content that users genuinely want to know, regardless of product sales promotion.

(4) SNS marketing

The fourth web marketing method is “SNS marketing” .

SNS marketing is a marketing method that builds a mechanism for attracting customers and promoting sales through SNS .

Specifically, there are methods such as distributing advertisements on each SNS platform, using influencers, and operating official accounts.

▼ SNS platform and method

platform	technique
Twitter Instagram Facebook LINE YouTube TikTok	SNS advertisement influencer marketing SNS account management SNS campaign social listening

According to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, more than 70% of all generations use SNS (more than 80% of people in their late teens to 30s), and SNS is increasing its presence in web marketing.

It can be said that SNS marketing is a measure that should be actively used.

For more information on social media marketing, please see the article below.

(5) Webinars

The fifth web marketing method is the “webinar” .

Webinars have been used as a B2B lead acquisition method in recent years, and holding webinars (online seminars) is a method of attracting customers.

Due to the corona crisis in 2020, it has become difficult to hold seminars and large-scale exhibitions held at real venues, and it has suddenly attracted attention as an alternative.

In addition to being able to hold non-contact seminars, webinars have advantages such as cost reduction and a wide range of people who can be approached, and it is expected that they will continue to be established in the future.

Web marketing method 2: Customer development and nurturing measures

Next, we will introduce web marketing measures for customer development and nurturing.

What I would like to introduce here is to encourage the customers and users acquired by the method introduced in the previous section to improve their purchase rate and average spend per customer, increase the number of good customers, and acquire long-term sales. It will be a method for

▼ Web marketing measures for customer development and nurturing

(1) LPO (Landing Page Optimization)

The first web marketing method is “LPO (Landing Page Optimization)” .

LPO is a general term for methods to improve the appeal and usability of LPs (landing pages) and lead to conversions (contracts) .

LP (landing page) is the landing page (linking page) from advertisements. Depending on the content of the LP, the number of new customers acquired will change directly.

Improving the quality of the landing page by working on LPO can be said to be a web marketing measure that is directly linked to sales.

(2) Email marketing

The second web marketing method is “email marketing” .

Email marketing is a method of communicating with users via email to encourage purchase intent and improve loyalty .

Specifically, there are the following methods.

Regular mail magazine	Distribute an e-mail magazine regularly at a fixed timing such as “every Saturday”
step mail	Send emails continuously for a certain period of time to new customers, etc.
retargeting email	Distribute emails triggered by user actions, such as users who have accessed a specific page or users who have items left in their shopping cart.

In recent years, it is said that the use rate of e-mail is declining due to the rise of SNS, but the most common purpose of using the Internet is “sending and receiving e-mail”.

▼ Purpose and purpose of Internet use by age group (multiple answers) (2019)

Efficient customer development is possible by utilizing communication by e-mail.

(3) Marketing Automation (MA)

The third web marketing method is marketing automation (MA) .

Marketing automation (MA) is the automation of marketing operations, and it is a measure that is especially used in web marketing.

For example, we can grasp customer behavior in real time and provide appropriate product recommendation information, or automatically select customers with a high probability of closing a deal, enabling efficient sales activities.

How to build a web marketing strategy

Well, when you actually try to work on web marketing, how should you design it specifically?

The key here is that web marketing should work as part of a larger marketing strategy .

The reason is that if you move based on the web marketing measures you want to try, you will not get the desired results.

Put the overall marketing strategy of your company’s brand, products, services, etc. at the top and use web marketing as a means of implementing that strategy.

If you are in charge of web marketing for a company, first check the company’s overall marketing strategy and policies for the current term, then break down from there and think about your web marketing strategy.

For example, if your policy for the current term is to “increase the number of new customers you acquire,” think about what you should do with your web marketing.

The key to thinking is to consider the strategy of the entire company as a goal to be achieved by web marketing, and think about how to allocate the given budget to maximize the results .

If you follow this procedure and develop a strategy, you will be able to achieve results from large strategies to small strategies.

Supplement: How to create a marketing strategy as a high-level concept

As a supplement, if you don’t have a marketing strategy that is a high-level concept in the first place, you have to build it from there.

Here are some tips on how to develop your marketing strategy.

▼ Basic process of BtoB marketing

1. Strategy formulation: Determining communication policy by designing STP based on customer understanding
2. Sales collaboration: Definition of division of roles, design of CV points, production of white paper
3. Lead generation: method selection and implementation of measures
4. Lead nurturing: turn potential leads into opportunities

▼ Basic process of BtoC marketing

“STP” in the strategy formulation section stands for Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning.

“STP analysis” is useful for clarifying these. Please see the page below.

Tips for successful web marketing

What are the key points for successful web marketing? I will give you two tips.

Research well the method you want to practice

The first tip is to “study well the method you want to practice” .

There are many different techniques in web marketing.

There is no end to the number of cases in which knowledge is not kept up to date and people practice without knowing it, but the chances of success are almost zero.

As long as you are involved in web marketing, it is necessary to always obtain the latest information, and in particular to conduct sufficient research on the methods you want to practice.

Utilize the knowledge of web marketing professionals

The second tip is to “use the knowledge of web marketing professionals” .

No matter how hard you work, there is a limit to the amount of knowledge you can collect by yourself. Therefore, we would like to actively utilize the knowledge of web marketing professionals .

There is no doubt that the accuracy of web marketing will be greatly improved by getting objective advice from outside the company, not just from the internal point of view.

There are many companies that provide web marketing support. Let’s involve companies that are compatible with your company and can be associated as a team for a long time in your company’s web marketing.

Summary

Web marketing is the creation of a sales system that utilizes the Web.

Web marketing is important for all companies in the modern age where the barriers between online and offline are disappearing.

Benefits of web marketing include:

Disadvantages of web marketing include:

As a method of web marketing, I explained the following in the text.

▼ Web marketing methods

Measures to improve awareness and attract customers	Customer development and nurturing measures
SEO (search engine optimization) internet advertising content marketing social media marketing webinar	LPO (Landing Page Optimization) email marketing Marketing Automation (MA) AI chatbot

Tips for successful web marketing include researching the methods you want to practice and using the knowledge of web marketing professionals.

It is no exaggeration to say that those who control web marketing control business. Hone your web marketing skills and get the results you want.