Evaluate the effectiveness of internet marketing in meeting customers needs for a selected business
In this assignment I will be evaluating the effectiveness of internet marketing in meeting ASOS's, customer needs.
ASOS's uses of Internet Marketing
ASOS meets their customer needs by using Internet marketing in various different ways. There are multiple benefits for using the internet to enhance the marketing mix of a business to customers. ASOS are enabled to identify their target market and their audience from using their website. Previously, ASOS are able to conduct product research in order to see what their potential customers would like or want in one of their products or to do with their business overall.
ASOS meet customer needs by allowing multiple options to pay online. One way is paying through the bak, using a normal debit or credit card. Their is another option which is more complicated as some customers may not have PayPal, but customers that do have it can pay through PayPal. ASOS has a system which is called 'click and collect' which is where you pay for the products instantly using a card or through PayPal and then instead of getting it delivered to your house you can collect it sooner from an allocated point near your area. By having an option to pay using PayPal gives customer variety and allows a safer and more secure option which they may feel suits them better therefore they can purchase from ASOS rather than not purchasing anything because they don't feel the original payment method is secure. PayPal has 100% protection from illegal payments which guarantees the customers have confidence to transfer their money to ASOS. Personally, I feel PayPal is a safer payment method for ASOS's customers to use because it guarantee's to give customers a full refund if they are sold fake goods or any illegal products.
ASOS use their website to attract and entice customers, one way this is done is by having a review page in which customers can leave reviews about a product they have used, this could be positive or negative comments, although it doesn't matter because its a customers opinion and thoughts on the a product therefore its accurate. This is a positive thing because potential customers or other customers can look a this and are able to see the customers opinions and feedback on specific products and this will help them to decide whether they are going to purchase that product or not.
Additionally, ASOS have banners on their website which are usually in bold and in a large font in order to stand out and so customers will be able to spot easily. They have banners on their website to make customers aware of offers, promotions, new ranges and various other things. By having banners customers will be able to notice for example, that there is a 40% sale off dresses, therefore customers may think to themselves I may as well buy a dress in the sale because its going to be a lot cheaper than out the sale. It is making customers aware of the special deals and offers that ASOS have on at the moment and they change depending on what is selling well and what isn't.
ASOS have product descriptions which are there to give the customer a bit of detail about the product. They are available underneath the product in brief writing which creates a good customer relationship because they can fully understand what they are buying before they decide to purchase the product. This creates a positive brand reputation as well as brand loyalty because they know the product description replicates exactly what they are getting.
One benefit of using internet marketing is that ASOS's performance has increased, due to ASOS being one 24/7. This was good because it allows sales to increase because customers can shop when it is convenient for them. ASOS promote that they are open 24/7 on their social media pages which is seen by a huge population of people. Examples of the social media pages they advertise themselves on are; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc. This is beneficial for ASOS because it allows them to spread awareness about being open 24/7 which shows they are trying to keep up with the trends and the current market to compete with tier competitors.
ASOS's customers can compare ASOS's price to their competitors such as; Topshop, River Island, Misguided and other stores to see which store sells a similar product for a cheaper price. Although, some customers don't always tend to go with the cheapest option because they feel there could be a reason why its so cheap. Comparing products allows customers to see if they are getting the best price for an item and if they are getting value for there money.
There are various aspects on ASOS's website in which they can communicate with their customers. Customers can email ASOS any enquiries they have although, if its a common question that ASOS get asked they will have put it into their FAQ page, which is a page they set up for 'frequently asked questions' to put them with their answers in one place for customers to easily access. Emails are also used to notify customers with the latest information about products. Under each product there is a brief description about the product in order for the customer to understand a bit more about the product rather than just looking at the photos. This will make customers feel more ease to buy the product if they have more description about it. ASOS have also set up an online chat where customers can liaze with other customers as well as a representative from ASOS in order to answer any queries they have. Furthermore, ASOS are one of the few large clothes businesses that have an app, this is a huge positive for customers because they are able to access their products from their phone which makes shopping a lot easier and saves time because you do not have to go into a physical store.
By using internet marketing, Nike have achieved their aims and objectives due to them providing the best value for money out of all their competitors. They have been able to entice customers because they have used internet marketing the its full potential and ASOS have gained multiple benefits from using internet marketing. They provide exceptional customer service such as replying to emails ASAP, being open 24/7, having different delivery options etc. These things along with other things allows ASOS to have a good relationship with their customers allowing them to trust and be loyal to ASOS. ASOS want repetitive customers so by having good customer service this will ensure customers return.
ASOS reach out to a global audience, which allows them to reach multiple different countries. This is a challenge that ASOS face because they have to create different sites for different countries. They allow the option for global countries to be able to purchase from ASOS and get their stuff delivered to them. This has increased the number of customers and number of sales ASOS are receiving, because its opened up a whole new market for them. This is a benefit of using internet marketing because customers who live globally now have the ability to order stuff online or through ASOS's app rather than having to go into physical stores which may not be possible. The website and app run 24/7 therefore customers can shop at their convenience which is a huge benefit for internet marketing. Sales increase due to the website and app running 24/7 because it allows customers to shop in their now time because it doesn't have closing times.
Additionally, another challenge that ASOS face, is that they can receive negative comments on their website. Anyone can leave these comments which may be seen by other customers or potential customers that may be put off by these negative comments. This will make ASOS's reputation bad and may decrease the amount of sales ASOS receive because of the nasty, negative comments. ASOS can review these comments and then work on ways to improve the things customers do not like. Also, ASOS can turn their negative reputation around by providing good customer service via responding to the negative comments with positive things e.g. giving them £10 off their next order.
In conclusion to this, internet marketing is extremely effective for ASOS because of multiple reasons. One of these reasons is because it meets customer needs as it allows multiple options to pay online. Additionally, ASOS offer various ways to communicate with their customers such as; FAQ pages, direct emails etc. Another way ASOS benefit's from using internet marketing is by customers not having to queue or wait or wait in a long queue due to the website being open 24/7, and it doesn't have opening or closing times like a store, which makes shopping extremely easy and beneficial for the customers which is why internet marketing if effective as it will entice more customers in.
Overall, globalisation is where a business is global and reaches worldwide. ASOS uses internet marketing in order to reach these other countries because it allows ASOS to receive more sales and a better reputation. This is because there is a bigger target market due to their target audience boosting. ASOS gain more profit from globalisation because there is more people purchasing products from their website which also improves their performance.
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