A brief overview of market development for exporters. This information is taken from "A Basic Guide to Exporting" provided by the U.S. Commercial Service to assist U.S. companies in exporting.
Last Published: 10/20/2016
Online Market Development

As with brick-and-mortar enterprises, market development is an essential ingredient for websites of all types and must be an integral part of your company’s e-business presence on the Internet. Your company should consider and evaluate the advantages of advertising online as an extension and a component of your corporate growth strategies. Advertising messages often appear on portals or on other websites that draw viewers with content(e.g., news and information) and services (e.g., e-mail, chat,and forums). You may seek to advertise on search engines that attract high traffic volume or to target a specialized demographic.Some portals sell favorable link positioning or advertising keyed to particular search terms in a user query. Companies may also consider using an advertising network that feeds ads to a network of websites, thereby enabling large marketing campaigns. These options are available in the United States and internationally in English or in other languages.

Direct e-mail is an inexpensive and efficient way to reach thousands of potential customers. Direct e-mail can be used to promote and enhance web presence, depending on the market, product, or service. However, several countries have legislation affecting unsolicited commercial e-mail that
direct marketers must be aware of. The Direct Marketing Association suggests that direct e-mail messages should have:

1. An honest subject line
2. No forged headers or technological deceptions
3. The identity of the sender, which includes a physical address
4. A visible opt-out clause that is easy to use

 
The CAN-SPAM Act sets requirements for senders of commercial e-mail to consumers. Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, the law specifies (in part):
  • Header information—routing information and information in the “From” and “To” lines—cannot befalse or misleading.
  • Subject lines cannot mislead recipients about the contents of the message.
  • A return e-mail address or other mechanism must be included to allow recipients to opt out of receiving future messages, and opt-out requests from recipients must be honored.
  • An included clear notice must advise recipients that the message is an advertisement and must provide a valid physical postal address for the sender. For more information, visit http://ftc.gov/spam.

 

Before marketing via e-mail, your company should be aware of the potential for backlash against unsolicited e-mails by consumers who feel overwhelmed by the number of such e-mails they receive. Companies should consult the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003 to ensure full compliance with the law.


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eCommerce Marketing