1. Internet Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism
Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing
By Zongqing Zhou, PhD
Professor
Niagara University

2. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing
Internet Marketing Planning Defined
A systematic process of designing a blueprint for communicating the benefits and the value of the products and services to the online consumers.
Strategic Internet Marketing Plan—long-term plan
Operational Internet Marketing Plan—short-term plan

3. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing
The Blueprint:
Step1: Strategic Planning (your company’s goals and objectives—long-term)
Step 2: Operational planning (your company’s short-term goals and objective, typically for one year)
Step 3: Situation Analysis and SWOT
Step 4: Understanding your customers
Step 5: Market segmentation and Product Focus
Step 6: Website construction and promotion
Step 7: Pricing Strategy
Step 8: Product Distribution
Step 9: Internet Promotion

4. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –objectives
Objectives: criteria of good objectives
Specific
Realistic
achievable
Measurable
Time-related

5. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –strategies
Is Internet marketing a complement or replacement of your existing marketing practice
If you are an existing company with a land-based (mortar) business, that is the question to ask
What is the best marketing mix I should use to target my customers.
If you are a pure online company (click) or operate an independent online company separated from your land-based business.

6. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –Tactics
Tactics are short term and flexible
Tactics are used to fulfill the goals of strategies
Tactics require specific plans and tools
What is your plan for the website?
What tools do you use to advertise online (banner, sponsorship, for example)?
Permission marketing?
eCRM?

7. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –situation analysis
IMP: Objectives and goals; strategies; action plans; controlling; measurements
IME: Competitors, customers, distribution channels, suppliers
GME: Economy, technology, demographics, government, society, culture

8. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –situation analysis
Customers:
Who are they?
Where are they (what sites do they go to? Are they local, regional, domestic or international?)
How many are they?
What are they doing online?
What do they need and want?
How they behavior when they are online?

9. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –situation analysis
Competitors
Who are they?
Are they online or offline?
How do they present themselves to the customers
Are their strategies successful?
Should I copy them or use different strategies?
Are they part of an existing land-based company or a purely dot com company?

10. Chapter 3 Planning Internet Marketing –situation analysis
SWOT: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
What is our SWOT?
How are we going to deal with the SWOT?
Link to an example

11. Market segmentation and Product Focus
Select your market (target customers) according to your products and services
What are the benefits and/or values of your products and services
Positioning/branding your products and services

12. Website construction and promotion
The importance of your website as a marketing tool
Considering your customers and your products when constructing your website
Making sure customers can find your site (search engine optimalization )
Using an integrated marketing strategy to promote your site (both online and offline)

13. Pricing Strategy
Online consumers are power consumers and sensitive to pricing
Understanding competition
Choose the right pricing strategy to fit your products/services and customers mix

14. Product Distribution Direct marketing or not direct marketing?
Product/service analysis
Cost and benefits analysis

15. Internet Promotion Planning internet promotion Objectives
Find your customers
Budgets
Marketing mix (pick the right communication tools)
Execution
Measuring the effects