The new commercial reality in which online shopping and changes in consumer habits have forced companies to rethink their sales strategies, so it is essential to understand how people behave in the digital environment.
The report "Internet in Central America", prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, provides the most updated data on the presence of Internet users in the region, users by gender, educational level and other details. In addition to the behavior of the uses in each country and the channel where they connect.
In most Central American countries, vehicles are the main merchandise traded through web platforms.
According to the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport), according to the OLX marketing website in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama, vehicles are the most published product category.
Executives of companies whose customers are other businesses, rely increasingly on the Internet to find information to guide them in the decision making process.
B2B (Business to Business) companies are a growing presence on the Internet, due to the fact that the number of its customers using the Internet for their business decisions is also increasing.
In 2009 spending on traditional media advertising grew by 18.5%. In 2010 it increased by only 2.1%, confirming that consumers have started to abandon ship.
Only television and radio appear to be safe from the unstoppable advance of digital media on consumer preference. Print media is suffering most from this change in trends.
As internet penetration in homes and businesses increases, consumers are changing their information consumption habits, and spending more time in front of the PC or with their phone in hand, rather than reading newspapers and print magazines.
A Microsoft Advertising White Paper looks at changes in audience behavior regarding print and online media.
Advertisers must ensure the balance between print and online advertising reflects the changing role of public consumption habits, particularly the growing importance of online advertising in various stages of the purchase funnel.
It is estimated that by 2012, the number of Europeans who regularly use the Internet will overtake newspaper readers (in fact, it already has among those under 34 years). Equally rapid is the change in the roles which both channels play in the lives of readers. Europeans who read print and online use the Internet more frequently, allowing them access to more content and information and allows them to enjoy many of the main qualities of traditional newspapers and magazines.
Internet usage in Latin America is rising steeply and consumer purchasing patterns are being ever more influenced by the web.
In an article on Altonivel.com.mx, Google's general manager for Latin America, Alexandre Hohagen, comments that, "it is true that e-commerce in the region has somewhat lagged behind in comparison with more developed countries but the gap is closing and today there is evidence of a multi-channel purchasing dynamic when acquiring products or services".
In this new breed of marketing to the “4Ps” (product, placement, price, promotion) the following been added: flow, functionality, feedback and loyalty (“4Fs” in Spanish).
The Internet, new information management tools and methodologies, combined with globalization, are redefining the way products are marketed.
Cristina Vílchez, writing for Americaeconomia.com, comments that, “new tools are available for companies to use to reach customers.
In 2010, online advertising spending will grow to $25 billion, and will represent 20% of the entire advertising market by 2014.
The figures of a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers called “Global Entretainment and Media Outlook for 2010 to 2014” match the data from another study by David Hallerman, senior analyst at eMarketer.
“Steady gains in online ad spending will mean an additional $11 billion flowing into the space over the next four years, increasing the Internet’s share of total media ad spending from a bit more than 15% in 2010 to over 20% in 2014”, reported eMarketer.com.
Online media continues to gain ground on traditional media, by combining and offering a single product featuring the best of both.
The television industry understands that audiences are shifting towards the web as their main information source, not only at the expense of print media, but also of television.
Their strategy is also clear: they are joining the enemy, in order to reach their audiences also through the web.
Women still do the bulk of home shopping, and more and more of them research online before doing so.
A study by iVillage/SheSpeaks in the U.S. details how women are changing their shopping habits, detailing that a shopping tour begins at the PC, where they check existing offers and promotions through the Internet. They decide where to shop depending on what they find.
A new web site helps understand what is advertising targeted to user interests, and how to protect privacy online.
IAB Spain, a representative of the Internet Advertising Industry, launched a website on Internet privacy, which aims to help the user protect its privacy and inform on how targeted advertising and cookies work.
Survey: What do you do during TV advertisements? 39% changes the channel, 37% speaks with someone in the room, and 34% surfs the Internet.
“Adding Internet to the advertising mix, in addition to other traditional media, contributes in increasing your reach. This is because Internet has now massive reach among consumers, and they mix it with print and radio.”
Advertising online is not an option anymore but a necessity, and requires stricter planning than traditional advertising.
Every cent spent in an advertising budget must be carefully planned. These are though times, with fierce competition in all fields. Preparing successful advertising campaigns requires a lot of work, and actions in several fronts. A balanced online marketing plan is much more than just spending some dollars on Google’s Adwords.