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!

 

Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for

MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic

and direct links starting at just $5: