Internet Marketing - An Overview

There are many types of internet users - I'll list a few but no doubt there are other classifications and whatever the case today it will be different again in a few days, weeks or months.There is the user who:-1. Sees the internet as an opportunity to view anything new - the latest gadget or the latest review or an up to date news source. This type of user is enthusiastic and obviously keen to digest any news or products.2. Has to use the web because work involves doing so - but really finds it a terrible "bore".3. There is the real 'techie' who likes to utilise the internet for anything - he or she may develop online databases, web sites etc. This individual may also work in this type of environment.4. The communicator - uses the internet for chat rooms, emails maybe even sharing on-line games.5. Is a genuine on-line shopper - will purchase goods, make reservations etc.6. Last but by no means least there is the Internet Marketer - the individual who sees the internet as a means of earning a living or an income from on-line activities.It's perhaps correct to say categories 1-5 above would not share a thought with the internet marketer in category 6. For the internet marketer will be constantly looking for opportunities to sell or promote products and services Internet marketing in this way provides what many people would a describe as an 'ideal live-style'. The successful internet marketer may initially work many hours to earn a meagre living but with the anticipation of working fewer hours and generating a recurring on-going income in the future. This is the real bonus for the talented internet marketing individual - the work completed this month may generate a small income this month but will then continue to grow for several months, reach a peak and then start to decrease. In this situation a few days per week may generate several thousand of pounds, dollars or euros over the next 12 months. If this can be repeated several times then substantial earning can be achieved. I must stress this is very different to the 'get rich schemes' - i.e. pay me this today, and then I'll make sure you earn a fortune!As the public's confidence in using the on-line market place continues to grow then so does the range of products and services on offer and the on-line internet market itself continues to grow at even faster rates.There are several types of internet market and hence several alternative means of internet marketing. If you wish to join the internet marketing business then you'll need to look at the alternative business models available to you.I'll try identify some of the online internet based markets - but again if I've missed anything then my apologies.1. Perhaps the first to be established and the most obvious - it is an extension of an existing business. This could be the shop that has been trading for several years and now creates an internet shop and sells some or all of the products that are available when you walk into the store.2. There is the on-line services industries - i.e. insurance, banking, reservations systems etc. These systems have taken their previous business a whole step forward. For example the quotation process can be automated and available 24 x 7.3. The third section is a where a business would not exist without the internet. This is the area where many affiliate marketing schemes have come into place. If for example I became an affiliate for a cruise line company based out of the Caribbean then I can now advertise the company's products anywhere in the world and should I make a sale that I will be paid by the company (or the company handling it's affiliate sales). There is also a whole new industry built up around this business model providing services to both the affiliates and the company using the affiliate marketing approach to sell it's products. There are companies that specialise in handling all the affiliate issues for a company - i.e. track all sales, all commission payments to affiliates etc.The internet marketing model is relatively new and there are many companies established themselves meeting the needs of a company, organisation or individual wishing to sell it's products or services via the internet. Almost without doubt the leading brands have developed under the Google umbrella. Two established products - both of which are used for internet marketing purposes are Google AdWords and Google AdSense. Both these business arms of Google generate billions of dollars across the globe on a 24 x 7 basis. Put simply if I wish to advertise a product and get my advertisements listed on the right hand side of a Google search page then I would declare a price I was prepared to pay for a click (this is PPC or pay per click advertising). If someone clicks through to my site then I pay for the click and have the opportunity to sell my product to that prospect. Google AdSense pays you revenue when someone clicks onto an advertisement hosted on your site.