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Online Market Segments
by Scott F. Geld
The fact is that people like to do business in different
ways. There will always be a segment of the population
that prefers to walk into a store and make a purchase
rather than shop online. However, buying products and
services online is taking off. No longer is it just a
curiosity, but shopping online is becoming mainstream. As
consumers spend more time online, wise marketers are
spending more of their advertising budget online. They
understand and know who their audience is. Three distinct
market groups are emerging: buyers, consumers and
surfers. Here's an overview of these groups:
Buyers
Buyers are business professionals who may be executives,
engineers, managers, researchers, in fact anyone who
spends most of their working day online. This lucrative
market segment does not get the attention it deserves.
Often these people are responsible for making purchasing
decisions that require sourcing supplies, materials and
services all under very tight time pressures. What a
perfect target for online advertising! Make sure you don't
discount these very influential buyers.
Consumers
This category includes the home computer user who
routinely checks out commercial online services. This
group is a gold mine. They're already receptive to making
purchases over the Internet. Marketers only have to make
the online shopping experience easier and this market is
hooked. No longer will consumers be heading out to the
mall for goods and services, they'll be shopping online in
droves and loving it.
Surfers
Surfers are the online fun seekers. They use online
technology as a form of recreation, to play games, get
music and expand their knowledge. They are typically
younger and fickle. And these people have short attention
spans. They move all over in cyberspace. If something
catches their attention, they stick around. If a little
bit of boredom sets in, they're off again and surfing
elsewhere. This is the most challenging group to market
to, but one with a huge potential. Surfers are an
impulsive bunch. If a product catches their eye, they'll
buy online with no second thoughts. It's a bit like
positioning the candy at the check out counter in the
supermarket...you have a captive audience who finds it
hard to resist temptation.
When planning your advertising strategy consider the three
market segments. They are all different, but each one
deserves attention. Your bottom line depends on it!
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Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for
MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic
and direct links starting at just $5:
http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
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