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Online marketing professionals should take note of recent guidance on how to optimise a business’s on-site search and navigation to drive up sales and increase customer satisfaction – pointing out that there are various ways that retailers can improve this.

Fact-Finder head of UK operations Mathias Duda said that improved search and navigation on websites “can drive sales through personalised merchandising, increase a user’s experience of a brand and help retailers get a better understanding of their customers and how they behave on their website” – adding that too many retailers neglect site optimisation as part of their online marketing strategy.

One major improvement that can be made is changing the search function so that it understands misspellings and synonyms – up to 40 per cent of queries are spelt differently to actual product names, so this would clearly increase sales.

A general point also worth considering is that improved knowledge of what customers are seeking on a site will in turn improve online marketing by improving the efficiency of AdWords and SEO choices.

Virgin Media Business urged retailers and other commercial companies to up their game and focus more online marketing efforts on Twitter.

Research carried out by Virgin found that too many businesses are failing to capitalise on the unique internet advertising potential of micro-blogging sites such as Twitter, and their close relatives – social networks such as Facebook. According to researchers, just 9 per cent of firms used Twitter for online marketing and only a third used social media.
“Since its founding, Twitter has changed the way we shop and engage with brands and, as such, has become a fantastic tool for customer engagement,” Virgin Media Business customer service director Phil Stewart commented.

The Centre for Retail Research director Joshua Bamfield admitted that “it is probably true that the smaller stores have not got on this bandwagon yet,” but added that this “may simply reflect the fact that they’re very busy, they don’t have the skills and they don’t see why they should bother.”

Sales figures seem to show, however, that those who do “bother” will ultimately reap the online marketing rewards.

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The UK Parliament is turning its scrutiny on internet advertising, following concerns about personal privacy sparked by the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

MPs want to investigate the data security and privacy issues surrounding online marketing efforts which identify appropriate individuals for advertising via their web surfing habits, such as their searches on Google or their activities on social networking sites like Facebook.

Some 13 MPs are calling for a so-called “internet bill of rights,” giving users more safeguards over their online privacy.

The difficulty for the politicians is that while users would like to see less personal information held by third parties, they also enjoy the benefits that personally tailored online marketing can bring, according to online advertising industry journal Campaignlive.

Online marketing professionals are now likely to lobby MPs, pointing out that internet advertising already gives users the choice of opting out of various kinds of adverts and pay per click initiatives.

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Creative online marketing strategies can act as a powerful engine for growth in the women’s clothing sector, according to a new report.

The study by market researchers Mintel said that online clothing retail has mushroomed in the past decade, as high street and boutique sales of womenswear have fallen. Researchers found that nearly half of all mothers in the UK did not like store shopping for clothes, due to a lack of choice and flattering designs.

A significant 43 per cent of all women admitted to disliking trying on clothes instore, and 49 per cent accused retailers of only marketing to young people.

Mintel suggested that innovative online marketing and internet advertising campaigns have the potential to make the online clothing retail industry highly important in reviving the sector.

The company’s senior consumer analyst Michelle Strutton suggested one online marketing approach, saying: “More retailers can drive last-minute clothes purchases online by offering a service that if consumers order a garment via their websites before 9pm they will be guaranteed delivery the next day.”

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The future of online marketing is likely to be e-commerce – at least that is what online retail giant Amazon and social networking phenomenon Facebook seem to think.

Facebook has already pioneered the use of “virtual shopfronts,” whereby businesses and entrepeneurs set up their own fan pages with links to their online shops. However, the website is also at the forefront of the move towards working closely with off-network stores, presenting even more opportunities for smart online marketing and internet advertising initiatives.

Amazon and Facebook have worked in partnership for a while now, and the beta version is showing great promise and popularity. What makes this of particular interest to online marketing professionals is the enhanced capacity for recommendations. Already very important for online businesses, adding Facebook’s social and consumer information to another business’s internet marketing strategy helps fine-tune recommendations and boosts sales and conversions.

The social information also creates more reasons for customers to buy goods and services, thanks to integration of information about birthdays, weddings and other celebrations into a customer’s profile. Amazon and Facebook are leading the way, where smart online marketing professionals are only bound to follow.

A new report has predicted that online marketing is set to make the internet advertising soar over the next few years – with the market in Britain alone being worth an impressive £17.7 billion by 2015.

The study, by accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said that the rapid growth in the number of digital channels devoted to online marketing was responsible for the rise and rise of the sector, with internet advertising on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter plus classified advertising online fast catching up with the more established form of online marketing – search marketing on platforms such as Google and Yahoo.

PwC also said that the only sector of the UK economy likely to achieve double digit growth by 2015 would be internet advertising, making it the wisest bet for companies hoping to combine marketing efficiency with value for money.

PwC head of entertainment and media Phil Stokes commented: “Product placement, sophisticated social media campaigns and internet advertising are all becoming part of truly multimedia campaigns for advertisers who are themselves increasingly involved in a dynamic conversation with their customers.”

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Online marketing professionals have long been urged to adapt to the rise of the mobile device – not least of all by this blog! – and the latest research from the travel industry only serves to underline this.

Travel website TripAdvisor surveyed holidaymakers across Europe, and found that more of them are using their iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices than ever before, to check out restaurants, hotels and holiday resorts – as well as to book flights and other travel arrangements.

Nowadays, some 27 per cent of mainland Europeans and 22 per cent of Britons choose and organise holidays on their mobile devices, making it even more imperative that online marketing strategies and website designs bear this growing demographic in mind.

TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma O’Boyle said: “Whether travellers are looking for the nearest attractions or top-rated restaurant, these findings show that smartphones and tablets are an increasingly important travel companion.”