Understanding Internet users' online behavior and the integration of traditional and virtual media are keys to successful marketing in cyberspace, advertising experts said yesterday at a forum in Taipei.
The forum, which focused on Internet marketing strategies, was held by Yahoo-Kimo Inc (
"The power and reach of the Internet is beyond doubt," Jean Lin (
"As a result, we need to learn about what's on users' minds to offer what they want in a sea of online ads," Lin said.
Understanding users' online activities, such as what they type in query boxes, is the first step to understanding what users are thinking and interested in, said Valla Vakili, creative director for Yahoo Inc's North American sales unit.
Jerry Fan (
Fan cited a popular TV commercial for eBay Taiwan in which a character called Mr. Tang finds an antique vase on the auction site to replace one that he broke.
As well as being funny, he said, the commercial has generated discussion among consumers and served to boost brand awareness for the company.
Lin added that online marketing should not be equated with online advertising.
"Online ads can only temporarily attract surfers' attention, but quality information and service provided by the company's Web site will help to retain customers, which should be taken into account by companies that want to make good use of the marketing tool," Lin said.
Reckoning that the Internet has become the most influential medium, Jack Lee (
The reason for the small amount of funding, Lee said, is that it is hard to measure the effect of online advertising, which cannot be calculated by a click-through rate alone.
As a result, Lee said, advertisers need more time to compile related data and come up with a barometer to relate sales and branding value to online ads.
The forum is a part of the 5th Click! Awards, an online advertising awards ceremony held by the Internet industries from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, including PC Home Group, Chinatimes Group (
The awards show that dot-com businesses have made a comeback since the meltdown in 2000.
Spending on online advertising in China last year was 1 billion yuan (US$120 million), a 115 percent jump from 2002, and the growth rate for this year is forecast to be 75 percent to 85 percent, Zhang Lizheng (
In Taiwan, revenues of online advertising are expected to reach NT$2.1 billion this year, a 40 percent increase from last year, according to Yam Digital Technology Co (
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