Download Contemporary Logistics Medium-sized Enterprise E-marketing in Post Financing Crisis

Contemporary Logistics 04 (2011) 1838-739X
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Contemporary Logistics
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Innovation Mode and Strategy Research on Small and
Medium-sized Enterprise E-marketing in Post Financing Crisis
Shaofu Sun 
School of Management, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
KEYWORDS
Small and medium-sized enterprise,
E-marketing,
Innovation mode,
Marketing strategy
ABSTRACT
As a whole new mode in the e-commerce age, e-marketing is becoming more developed
among domestic enterprises, but compare to international competitive enterprises, it’s just
a beginning. Especially, it’s fairly weak in the application ability of small and
medium-sized enterprises. This text base on general explain of e-marketing’s concept,
characters, origination, development, elaborates domestic small and medium-sized
enterprises situation of e-marketing, analyzing problems rising from exercising
e-marketing, and put forwards the suggestion of how small and medium-sized enterprises
combine their own characteristics to make choices on innovation mode and strategies of
developing e-marketing, in order to provide a reference to small and medium-sized
enterprises developing e-marketing.
© ST. PLUM-BLOSSOM PRESS PTY LTD
1 Introduction
The development of internet technology has brought immeasurable wealth to this society, and provided enterprises a brand new
virtual space for communicating and marketing. As a marketing method in internet age, e-marketing started since mid-990s. Using its
multiple advantages are now becoming the enterprises core market distribution method. Small and medium-sized enterprises faced
a great challenge of survival and development, especially in post financial crisis era. Domestic small and medium-sized enterprises
have been through hard days in this period. Traditional marketing method cannot fulfill requirements for adapting new
environment. Under the background of e-commerce, more and more small and medium-sized enterprises get out of troubles by using
e-business. E-marketing has brought development of small and medium-sized enterprises another ocean of market.
2 Overview on E-marketing
2.1 Concept of e-marketing
On-line marketing or e-marketing is a new marketing method based on internet technology, using digital information and internet
media channel’s interactivity to help achieve goals. In short, e-marketing is a marketing activity using internet as major method and

Corresponding author.
Email: [email protected]
English edition copyright © ST. PLUM-BLOSSOM PRESS PTY LTD
DOI:10.5503/J.CL.2011.04.003
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in order to achieve some goals. [1] It includes network research, network new product development, e-promotion, e-distribution,
e-service and so on.
E-marketing is an important part of enterprises’ general marketing strategy. It’s a marketing activity taken action to fulfill integral
operating goals using internet as a fundamental and basic method. Also it is a combination result of modern enterprises’ marketing
theory, practice and modern information communicational technology, and computer internet technology.
2.2 The origination and development of e-marketing
E-marketing started since 1990s and developed from end of 20th century till today. It has its own international standardized
community which is responsible for standards formulate and implement. Only in few years, as spring bamboo shoots after rain they
have branch in 100 countries already. E-marketing presence and development have three main aspects, which are e-technology
development, changing customers’ values and intense commerce competition.
In our country, e-marketing started fairly late, not until we started to try it. Year 1997 – 2000 is the introduction stage of our
e-marketing. E-business was growing fast and more enterprises started to focus on e-marketing, more and more enterprises started to
focus on e-marketing. [2] From 2000 till now, e-marketing has step into application and development stage, E-marketing has initially
shaped: fast growing in enterprises’ web site building; continuous innovation in e-advertisement; marketing tools and methods keeps
coming out and developing. Till 2010 the scale of Chinese e-marketing has reached 498 billion yuan, taken 3.2 % of total retail sales
of consumer goods. Nowadays, the e-marketing activities like e-research, e-advertisement, e-distribution, e-service has normally
and actively enter into enterprises’ operation.
3 Domestic Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ E-marketing Development
Situation Analysis
3.1 Situation of small and medium-sized enterprises’ e-marketing development
Small and medium-sized enterprise refer to enterprises’ operational range, compare to great enterprises’ in same business, the capital
and employees, to divide such a level. [3] At present, our country has more than 42 million both small and medium-sized enterprises
and non public enterprises, which is 99.8% of all enterprises. Among them, registered in administration of industry and commerce
has 4.3 million, individual operation is 38 million. [4] Apparently, minor has taken a major function in domestic economic
development, however, due to dis-advanced marketing method, disability in management, small scale, lower risk bearing ability and
so on, all these make small and medium-sized enterprises hard in developing, especially in post financial crisis era, global
economical recession make it much harder. The new statistic survey shows that, about 60%-70% small and medium-sized enterprises
facing a surviving problems. Aiming at the situation faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, marketing experts says, using
general website and other useful tools, to actively implement e-marketing is to help enterprises saving money, expend business,
useful method to get over the hill. Ayrie’s survey also shows that: 65% small and medium-sized enterprises have confidence and
ability to get through financial problems. [5]
Because our country start fairly late in e-marketing, only at early stage in growing path, there are many limit in implement
e-marketing, which slowed the implement of e-marketing. <2010 report on minor e-marketing survey> examine small and
medium-sized enterprises connected into internet situation: till December 2010, in small and medium-sized enterprise it is already
92.7% connected; the individual website has reach 43%; but operating level is low, more than 58.5% update website per month or
more; professional operating websites’ rate is only 22.5%; 42.1% of small and medium-sized enterprises have using internet to
implement marketing; small and medium-sized enterprise using email to marketing occupy 21.3%, using e-business to distribute has
reach 19.3%, and using key words searching to implement marketing is 15.4%; 24.7% entrepreneurs do not consider assessment
effect.[6]
We can see from the report, though we have a fast growing group of small and medium-sized enterprises, due to limit on talents,
funds, technology, operating model, concept of management, make small and medium-sized enterprises still facing a problem of
weak unconscious of e-marketing, unsuitable method choice, low level strategy ability, short of special talents in e-marketing.
Which leads to a situation not fully bring e-marketing into play, hence to influence domestic small and medium-sized enterprises’
e-marketing fast growing.
3.2 The problems exists in implement e-marketing of small and medium-sized enterprise
3.2.1 Weakness in e-marketing conscious, dim concept
At present, many of our enterprises’ knowledge still stay in the beginning stage. They do not know how to enter into e-marketing
method or consider it unnecessary. If the leaders were born in 1960s or 1970s, they will still focus on real market. They do not fully
recognize the necessity and intensity to occupy the virtual market of internet information in the age of knowledge economy. They
mistakenly thought e-marketing was just a build up website, even consider it as a fasion, which lead to the un-usefully website set up,
should not turn it into a marketing foundation, which directly influenced small and medium-sized enterprises e-marketing activities’
implementation and effect.
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3.2.2 Lacking of general planning, target unclearness
E-marketing is an important part of enterprises’ general marketing, successful e-marketing is led by correct e-marketing strategies
through integrating multiple e-marketing models to fulfill the set target. However, in reality, fairly amount of enterprises set up the
website without a clear target and clear strategies, short of general strategies of e-marketing, cannot fully understand differences
between traditional marketing and e-marketing, correct the position both traditional marketing and e-marketing in marketing
department. Not start from the reality of enterprises and products, to choose suitable e-marketing model to exercise, only put the
name of industry, product, address, phone number on the web page, but only few truly implement internet research, e-distribution,
e-production development and service, which lead small and medium-sized enterprises e-marketing activities exist obviously
problems of unprofessional and blindness.
3.2.3 Lacking of e-marketing platform, ignore maintain and upgrade of already set website
An enterprise cannot successfully implement e-marketing strategies without a platform, which refer to the enterprises’ website focus
on e-marketing. Small and medium-sized enterprises due to limit in capital, funds, technology, concept and other aspects usually do
not open up website by themselves, majority throw it to agencies; many enterprises’ own websites are simple, short of function,
which mainly focus on presentation, not enough support on interaction, trading, statistic, only couple of static pages, providing fairly
information, short of timely function, maintenance and updating, hard to serve as it should do.
3.2.4 Lacking of E-marketing strategy
At present, among small and medium-sized enterprises, strategies level is not high and short of benefit. Enterprises’ managers
generally insufficiency in studying e-marketing such a special marketing method, still in practice and exploratory stage, not forming
an e-marketing strategies fit our country. Many small and medium-sized enterprises can only follow the traditional physical market
strategies, unsatisfactory in e-marketing benefit.
3.2.5 Simplicity in e-promotion, innovation is needed
In practicing, small and medium-sized enterprises should base on self-condition to choose suitable e-marketing method, to insure
effect of e-marketing. However, our small and medium-sized enterprises use searching engine and e-advertising as their major
e-marketing method, insufficiency knowledge of e-marketing tools and methods, simplicity in e-marketing, lack of predict of
e-marketing model, method and results, cause unbalance in input and output, so innovation of e-marketing is needed.
3.2.6 Short of professional knowledge and talents of e-marketing
Implementing e-marketing, needs inter-disciplinary talent which familiar both e-technology and marketing, which requires
enterprises to import and train the correspondence e-business type employees. Small and medium-sized enterprises’ marketing people
are good at traditional marketing method but not familiar with newly e-marketing. The majority of enterprises lack, lack of courage
and training of e-marketing employees, hard to absorb and keep talents, t as a result, employees will lose some of the e-marketing
talents. It is because l the lack of professional talents to systemically, design, operate and maintain the e-marking. Some enterprises
simply set up the website with no suitable people to manage, analysis and operate. Without professional e-marketing system, it is
hard to insure small and medium-sized enterprise to learn the e-marketing fundamental.
4 Our Small and Medium-sized Enterprises E-marketing Innovation Model and
Strategies Choose
4.1 Build right value of e-marketing, enhancing e-marketing conscious
As more and more widely using of internet, internet economy has become a development trend. Minor entrepreneurs should build up
a correct value of e-marketing, learn more about e-marketing knowledge, through propagandizing and training, enhance themselves
and employees’ e-marketing conscious, should notice e-marketing is not a simple website, or equal to e-sale. Should recognize
e-marketing’s importance and inevitability from strategy level, according to self-condition of resource, implementing propagandize,
market research, e-sale and many other forms of e-marketing, using scientific theory to guide enterprises’ e-marketing activities.
4.2 Formulate general e-marketing planning, clear and definite e-marketing target
Shaofang Zhang thinks: E-marketing is part of enterprises’ general marketing strategy, taken action to fulfill general operating target,
using internet as basic method to frost online operating environment related activities.
Small and medium-sized enterprises implementing e-marketing should fulfill the set target, should clear and definite the target
market group. Target market has different inter-concept of e-marketing, and also should use different resource. Thereafter, before
small and medium-sized enterprises implementing e-marketing, should have clear and definite target of marketing, surrounding the
target fully bring the internet advantage into play, thus to achieve the satisfy effect of e-marketing.
4.3 Actively build up e-marketing platform, continuously improve functional system
Enterprises’ website is an important implemented fundament and platform to e-marketing, presently, the useful platform that
enterprises can use include famous web portals, the third part e-business web platform, self-constructed website and so on. On the
base of continuously proved internet base installation, still should improve website’s function, improve marketing ability. Besides
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through website to show enterprises information, gaining potential customers’ information, needs, and post sale support, also should
equipped with perfect e-business function, which can processing online customer ordering, payment and transportation conducting.
Other than that, after building the website, the maintaining and perfectibility, also is an insurance of small and medium-sized
enterprises’ e-marketing success.
4.4 Formulate effective e-marketing strategy
Small and medium-sized enterprise implementing e-marketing should integrate marketing method, rationally formulate e-marketing
strategies, in order to gain more opportunities.
1. Website strategy
Set up website is a base for enterprises implementing e-marketing. Enterprises’ websites present their own images. Therefore,
building such websites enterprises should notice and done following aspects: 1) Simplicity, active on main page, highlight the topic,
coordinating colors; 2) Shorten downloading time; 3) Build up standard enterprises’ images; 4) Updating makes attraction.
2. Advertisement promotion strategy
The starting point of e-marketing is using internet characteristics fulfill connection with customers. Such a communication is
not “push” in traditional marketing, but “pull”. For example, on every page includes a timely responding E-mail address or button,
connect to other websites which reader may be interested in. Presently newly e-promotion methods include e-advertisement,
e-coupons, e-gifts promotion, e-lottery, integral credits and so on.
3. Channel strategy
Internet platform connected enterprises and customers together, providing a brand new sale channel. Enterprises continuously prove
such a channel, providing more convenient and faster proceed of shopping, to attract more customers. For example: combine related
business companies, together sale serious products on internet; build up online virtual shop, through 3D media design, to form a good
shopping environment and so on. After customer’s decision to buy, can directly use online banking to shop, and through
transportation companies deliver or home deliver to achieve the goods exchange.
4. Costumer service strategy
Using interactive marketing strategy could better service customer. This is also the key to e-marketing successful. E-customer service
major tools are chat tools like wangwang, Email, BBS, FAQ, 400 hot lines and so on. It is good for improving service level,
achieving customers’ information and help to bring out deals.
4.5 Abundant e-marketing method, innovating e-marketing model
Small and medium-sized enterprises mainly focus on combination of e-marketing methods, innovating e-marketing model, build up
3D information communication and management communication platform, enhance power of distributing enterprises’ website.
Presently, enterprises’ e-marketing method besides searching engine, internet advertisement, E-mail and also key words searching,
exchange connection, information posting, blog marketing, E-mail list, authority E-mail marketing, personal marketing, members
marketing, virus marketing, online shop, online video marketing, BBS marketing, alliance of e-marketing, e-book marketing, IM
tools and so on. Other than those, can still use the following models and methods:
1. Implant timely e-communication tools in enterprises’ website (online customer service system)
Some timely e-communication tools have also add flow evaluation, service statistic, free call, 400 hot lines and personality
formulating and many other functions, improving online sales volume and website extend effect. So enterprises’ website should
implant timely e-communication tools, as TQ and so on.
2. Posting demand and supply information on B2B website
For example, enterprises can selectively register like alibaba’s Trust Pass, Hyechong’s myeeig and other paid member, at the same
time doing as many as possible free register free member in business website or integral B2B website.
3. Buying general website
General website is a newly internet name accessing technology, is a convenient method to fulfill browser visiting. Equip with
accuracy, multiple dimension, low cost and other characteristics, could help small and medium-sized enterprises solve problems of
marketing. Enterprises can buy the same domain name as their products or enterprises’ name, in order to let customers only enter the
related key words to reach the website. At present, general website has included into marketing system by financing, medicare,
construction material, cloth and other small and medium-sized enterprises. Under the multiple dimensions promotion of “alliance of
marketing”, there will be more and more small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from that.
4. E-marketing outsourcing
If small and medium-sized enterprises’ resource cannot fulfill systemically implementing the requirements of e-marketing, they can
also use outsourcing method, choose qualitified professional e-marketing service provider to operate, as such can either promise the
effective website construction, or effective e-marketing. For example, to choose New Competitive Power Co., LTD, Shanghai
Speeding Co., LTD, Beijing Rio Co., LTD, Boyan Technology Co., LTD and so on.
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4.6 Training professional e-marketing team, improving e-marketing level
Implementing e-marketing strategies, requires amount of having marketing and internet technology background inter-disciplinary
talents. Minor could use method of combination of import and training and so on to improve employees’ quality. On one occasion,
among employees planned to start education of e-marketing concept and methods, organizing people to train about e-marketing
related knowledge and skill; at the same time focus on import a group of having rational knowledge structure e-marketing
inter-disciplinary talents, to make all employees to grasp the basic concept of e-marketing and basic skill; perfect hiring principle,
providing a talents support for small and medium-sized enterprises’ e-marketing development.
5 Conclusion
Without doubt, e-marketing as a brand new marketing model will become the developing trend in 21st century, to which also bring
new opportunities and fast growing chance to small and medium-sized enterprises. Under background of internet economy, more and
more small and medium-sized enterprises using internet to implement marketing to get rid of trouble, fulfill development, it believes
that there will be more and more small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from e-marketing, going out of adverse, sailing into a
new ocean of self-business. Our small and medium-sized enterprises should grasp great opportunities, build up right marketing
concept, enhance e-marketing conscious, integrate e-marketing method, using rational and effective website distribution method,
actively starting e-marketing activities, fulfill small and medium-sized enterprises growing bigger and stronger, continuously increase
enterprises’ goals.
References
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[2]. Baidu Baike. E-marketing [OL]. http://baike.baidu.com/view/5422.htm
[3]. Zhao Chunyu. Research on Small and medium-sized enterprises E-marketing Strategies. Marketing Week, 2009 (5): 22-23 (in
Chinese)
[4]. Li Qiudi. Research on Small and medium-sized enterprises E-marketing. Journal of Management, 2010 (4): 51(in Chinese)
[5]. E-marketing become SME life-saving straw. New Business, 2011. 9. 21 (in Chinese)
[6]. Qiao Xiaojuan. Research on the dilemma and countermeasure of SME e-marketing. science and technology information, 2011
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