Online Marketing
Online Marketing related articles | Digital Marketing
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Want to get online or expand your eCommerce business? There is help…
Online Retail Scheme launched by Enterprise Ireland. €625k is available to support online retail businesses over the next 12 months.
The Online Retail Scheme was launched by the Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation (DBEI) on 20th September 2018 to support eligible SMEs in the retail sector to develop a more competitive online offer. Enterprise Ireland will administer this scheme on behalf of DBEI with a total fund size of €625k.
This grant of up to €25,000 will enable retailers to increase their customer base and build a more resilient business in the domestic and global marketplace both online and offline. Successful applicants will be awarded funding to support a maximum of 50% of the project costs. Typical elements involved in developing a sophisticated and transactional online presence include research, consultancy costs for strategy development / implementation and training costs.
In recognition of the strong role the retail sector plays in supporting regional development and vibrant communities, at least 50% of the total number of grants awarded will be reserved for retail SMEs with their headquarters outside of county Dublin (over both calls of this Scheme) once the qualification threshold score is met.
This Scheme is a competitive offer. Applications for funding will be invited through two public calls for submission of projects by Enterprise Ireland. We anticipate that the first call will open at the end of October 2018.
Online Marketing is no longer optional…
It maybe a bold statement, but Online Marketing is no longer optional. The way people shop for products and services has changed dramatically in the past years and the old way is not coming back.
These days your company success depends less on your floor salesmen and more on your company web presence and its reputation and activity online. So, if you still rely on Golden Pages and newspaper ads to bring you business, you need a wake up call.
Research shows that by the year 2014, 53% of total sales (online and offline) will be affected by the Web, as more and more consumers will use the Internet to buy online, read product reviews, compare prices or get a reference on the company before making a purchase. (Forrester, March 2010). Continue reading
The power of Social Media Marketing – Case Study
Social Media is no longer a hangout for college kids. When done correctly, Social Media, and especially Facebook can skyrocket your business. You don’t need a big budget or fancy production crew. A good idea, consistent follow up and a quirky sense of humour, that’s all that is required to make it work.
This exactly was the case with Obermutten, a little village that decided to go global…
The online sales forecast 2010 to 2014
Forrester Research published recently a new five-year forecast predicting that online sales in the U.S. will keep growing at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate through 2014.
It forecasts that online sales in the U.S. will be nearly $250 billion, up from $155 billion in 2009. Last year, online sales were up 11 percent, compared to 2.5 percent for all retail sales.
While $155 billion worth of consumer goods were bought online last year, a far larger portion of offline sales were influenced by online research.
Forrester estimates that $917 billion worth of retail sales last year were “Web-influenced.” This means that many customers although they buy from the store, they first research the products or the suppliers online.
It also estimates that online and Web-influenced offline sales combined accounted for 42 percent of total retail sales and that percentage will grow to 53 percent by 2014, when the Web will be influencing $1.4 billion worth of in-store sales.
In Western Europe, Forrester expects a slightly faster 11 percent growth rate for online sales, going from $93 billion (68 billion Euros) in 2009 to $156 billion (114.5 billion Euros) in 2014.
The European online retail market, which includes the EU-17 — Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK — will increase at a growth rate of 11% over the five-year forecast period.
These business-to-consumer (B2C) online sales are continuing to rise at this double-digit growth rate because most Western European countries’ online retail sales are still relatively immature.
Need more proof that online marketing works?
In the first quarter of 2010, Dominos Pizza online sales reached £23 million, despite the recession. Reliable Irish online sales statistics are difficult to obtain, but with broadband being now available in most parts of the country and the current economic squeeze, Irish shoppers increasingly look for bargains online.
If you don’t get on the bandwagon now, you are going to miss the boat.
Online marketing is no longer optional
Online marketing is no longer optional may sound very controversial, unfortnately it is true. The way people buy products and services has changed dramatically in the past years, and the old way is not coming back! These days sales are less dependent on your floor salesman and far more on your company web presence and your business credibility online.
2010/11 Yellow Pages is 40% smaller than the 2009/10 edition
Is your business throwing money down the drain by advertising exclusively in the media that is fast becoming obsolete?
The size of the 2010/11 Yellow Pages edition is literally 40% smaller than the 2009/10 edition and the next year edition will be even smaller. As an increasing number of people search for products and services online, traditional advertising media are slowly becoming obsolete.
Online Marketing is growing really fast
According to Forrester Online Marketing Research, in 2010, an estimated 42 percent of people in the US either buy or conduct research online prior to making a purchasing decision. It is predicted that this percentage will grow to 53 percent by 2014.
According to Comreg’s Consumer ICT Survey, the number of online users in Ireland grew from 66pc in 2009 to 77pc in 2010 and average usage hours per week increased from 15.6 in 2009 to 19.4 in 2010.
So whether you like it or not, it would be wise to get your business online and invest in some online marketing knowledge.