Web Marketing Interview Preparation Guide Download PDF
Web Marketing Interview Questions and Answers will guide us now that Internet marketing, also referred to as i-marketing, web-marketing, online-marketing, or e-Marketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet or web. The Internet has brought media to a global audience. The interactive nature of web marketing in terms of providing instant response and eliciting responses, is a unique quality of the medium. Internet marketing is sometimes considered to have a broader scope
15 Web Marketing Questions and Answers:
1 :: Why is marketing research important?
Marketing research is important simply because we--web marketers-- need such information to make our marketing decisions. The more accurate the information we have, the less likely we are to make mistakes in our decisions.
2 :: What exactly is web marketing research?
Web marketing research is about conducting research (usually statistical analyses) to understand web marketing issues. The process of a research project includes: finding a market issue, translate it into a marketing research project, design survey questionnaire, collect information from a survey, conduct analyses and report the findings and marketing implementations.
Web marketing research focuses on web marketing issues only.
Web marketing research focuses on web marketing issues only.
3 :: Can you provide examples where research was critical for success?
Yes! In our recent Online Competitive Advantage study, we tried to understand what contributes most to the success of a web business. We have used a sophisticated research design to identify the "Key Drivers" of the success.
Suppose you are planning a web business. With a limited budget and time, you certainly need to focus your marketing efforts on the most important areas. Without such marketing research information, you are more likely to focus on what you are familiar with: if you are a tech guy, you may put most of your time and money to improve Internet development techniques on your web site. On the other hand, if you worked in the ad industry, you are more likely to focus on web site promotions.
But our research results show that the most important factor that contributes to the success of a web business is a solid marketing strategy. If you have such research information, you should put your money and time into designing your web marketing strategy. It helps you get on the right track at the very beginning.
Suppose you are planning a web business. With a limited budget and time, you certainly need to focus your marketing efforts on the most important areas. Without such marketing research information, you are more likely to focus on what you are familiar with: if you are a tech guy, you may put most of your time and money to improve Internet development techniques on your web site. On the other hand, if you worked in the ad industry, you are more likely to focus on web site promotions.
But our research results show that the most important factor that contributes to the success of a web business is a solid marketing strategy. If you have such research information, you should put your money and time into designing your web marketing strategy. It helps you get on the right track at the very beginning.
4 :: What are the web marketing questions that every web site should think about?
I believe these questions are currently the most important questions for every web marketer:
► a. Who will be my potential customers?
► b. Why do they shop online?
► c. What are their shopping habits on the street?
► d. How do they choose a company or a brand?
► e. How many segments are there in a certain market?
► f. Is there a niche market that's best for my Web business?
► g. What are the winning strategies?
Of course, to answer these questions, we need to conduct very sophisticated marketing research. For most small web businesses, they cannot afford it.
However, marketing research is not a methodology, IT IS A BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY. Even you know nothing about marketing research (as a method), you still can conduct marketing research. The very first and the most important thing a web marketer needs to know about his/her customers and the market is to ask the customers: "What can I do for you?"
► a. Who will be my potential customers?
► b. Why do they shop online?
► c. What are their shopping habits on the street?
► d. How do they choose a company or a brand?
► e. How many segments are there in a certain market?
► f. Is there a niche market that's best for my Web business?
► g. What are the winning strategies?
Of course, to answer these questions, we need to conduct very sophisticated marketing research. For most small web businesses, they cannot afford it.
However, marketing research is not a methodology, IT IS A BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY. Even you know nothing about marketing research (as a method), you still can conduct marketing research. The very first and the most important thing a web marketer needs to know about his/her customers and the market is to ask the customers: "What can I do for you?"
5 :: How can web marketing research data be used to improve the usability of a web site?
WebCMO provides a freeware--SiteSurv-- to help web site owners to understand their visitors: Where did they come from? How did they find your web site? How do they evaluate your web site? How are they satisfied with your web site? Why are they satisfied with your web site? Will they re-visit your web site? Why do they re-visit your web site?
As you see, all these questions are very important for a web marketer to develop site sign strategies to attract more people to come back again and again.
The software is absolutely free. We even don't need you to trade your email address for the software. At WebCMO, free has only one meaning: free!
As you see, all these questions are very important for a web marketer to develop site sign strategies to attract more people to come back again and again.
The software is absolutely free. We even don't need you to trade your email address for the software. At WebCMO, free has only one meaning: free!
6 :: What research has been helpful for both web marketers and their customers?
Any web marketing research shall benefit both web marketers and their customers. As I describe in the article What Can I do For You?, marketing is not about selling. The real marketing is about understanding what your customers need and try to provide superior services or products to meet your customers' needs. Therefore the function of marketing research is to understand what customers need and to gather information for web businesses to provide exactly what customers need.
For example, if a site owner is able to understand why people visit his/her site and why they come back again (from the survey results of SiteSurv, for example), they will be able to develop more effective strategies. Visitors are happy because the site provides what they want, and the navigation on the site is easier.
For example, if a site owner is able to understand why people visit his/her site and why they come back again (from the survey results of SiteSurv, for example), they will be able to develop more effective strategies. Visitors are happy because the site provides what they want, and the navigation on the site is easier.
7 :: What have been your most striking findings? What data have really shocked you?
It is hard to say "striking". However we did have some valuable and interesting findings in our research.
For example, about one year ago, while very few large online companies promoted their businesses through offline ad media and while the online advertising community doubted about the effectiveness of offline promotion, our research, Online Promotion Strategy Study, shows that offline promotion (for web businesses) is one of the most effective promotion methods.
Another example is that when comparing CPM pricing model with CPC pricing model, we assumed that advertisers preferred the CPC model because the CPC model give advertisers guaranteed advertising results. However, in the research Understand Advertisers' Preferences, we found that advertisers don't prefer the CPC model. A further study shows that this is because advertisers expect higher than average click through rate.
Good marketing research provides useful information. But useful information does not necessarily need to be striking. Of course, I do hope our research yields "striking" results. But I don't intentionally to pursue "striking" effects. To make the research result useful to web marketers is our fundamental goal in the research.
For example, about one year ago, while very few large online companies promoted their businesses through offline ad media and while the online advertising community doubted about the effectiveness of offline promotion, our research, Online Promotion Strategy Study, shows that offline promotion (for web businesses) is one of the most effective promotion methods.
Another example is that when comparing CPM pricing model with CPC pricing model, we assumed that advertisers preferred the CPC model because the CPC model give advertisers guaranteed advertising results. However, in the research Understand Advertisers' Preferences, we found that advertisers don't prefer the CPC model. A further study shows that this is because advertisers expect higher than average click through rate.
Good marketing research provides useful information. But useful information does not necessarily need to be striking. Of course, I do hope our research yields "striking" results. But I don't intentionally to pursue "striking" effects. To make the research result useful to web marketers is our fundamental goal in the research.
8 :: Are there any good web marketing research books available?
This is my most frequently asked question.
In my opinion, any book about marketing research is ok. Always remember, understanding your customers is a business philosophy instead of a method. I would suggest paying more attention to the question "why should I conduct marketing research?", instead of the question "How can I conduct a survey?"
But a good book will certainly help you make the research smoother. I would recommend the book How to conduct your own survey, written by Priscilla Salant and Don A. Dillman and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. It gives step by step instructions of a research process.
In my opinion, any book about marketing research is ok. Always remember, understanding your customers is a business philosophy instead of a method. I would suggest paying more attention to the question "why should I conduct marketing research?", instead of the question "How can I conduct a survey?"
But a good book will certainly help you make the research smoother. I would recommend the book How to conduct your own survey, written by Priscilla Salant and Don A. Dillman and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. It gives step by step instructions of a research process.
9 :: Why has so little web marketing research been conducted?
As a matter of fact, there are many web marketing reports available on the Internet. However, few of them are of high quality. In a recent article, I discussed why the quality of online research is poor:
The real reasons for poor quality of online research, I believe, come from:
1) limited marketing knowledge;
2) limited stats knowledge; and
3) irresponsible attitudes.
The real reasons for poor quality of online research, I believe, come from:
1) limited marketing knowledge;
2) limited stats knowledge; and
3) irresponsible attitudes.
10 :: What do you mean by limited marketing knowledge, limited stats knowledge, and irresponsible attitudes?
Limited marketing knowledge: while we have so many online research reports, how many different kinds of information do we get? Not much! So far, most online research are about "how many people are online" or "how many people bought online". While we have so many marketing issues to explore, why on the earth does almost all of the research explore such questions as "how many people are online", again and again, and again?
The answer is: most researchers don't have much marketing knowledge to explore the Internet issues. Have we ever heard from these online research firms discussing our marketing issues? If a marketing researcher has less marketing knowledge than his/her clients, how can he/she help the clients understand their markets?
A good marketing research consists of 80% marketing knowledge and 20% statistics.
The answer is: most researchers don't have much marketing knowledge to explore the Internet issues. Have we ever heard from these online research firms discussing our marketing issues? If a marketing researcher has less marketing knowledge than his/her clients, how can he/she help the clients understand their markets?
A good marketing research consists of 80% marketing knowledge and 20% statistics.