For simplicity reasons, the terms Internet and World Wide Web will jointly be referred to as the Internet. Whilst significant differences exist between the two, those differences do not in any way impact the central theme of this article which is to demonstrate how necessary it is for the Internet to be integrated into a total mix of marketing communication mediums and strategies for it to fulfil its enormous potential.

In the movie "Field of Dreams", Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) is an Iowa corn farmer who cops plenty of flack and ridicule from his friends, family and fellow farmers when he ploughs in his cornfield to build a baseball stadium. The haunting voice in his head keeps chanting "build it and they will come." Obviously the film was not about websites, however one could be excused for thinking that many who saw the movie and later went on to build websites, took the message to heart as a general business principle.

They spent many thousands of dollars and invested huge amounts of time and energy creating great websites believing that the world would beat a path to their Internet door. But just like having a great idea, product or service that nobody knows about, it is of little value if the market is not aware of its existence. In short, ‘build it and they will come’ does not apply to websites.

So the question becomes, how do I let the world know about our great website? How do I let the world know about the range of services available to them via the Internet?

That is where traditional marketing mediums come into play. Those traditional mediums, in the first instance anyway, play a major role in directing traffic to business websites. Radio, television, magazine advertisements, outdoor billboards, bumper stickers, to name but a few, are important mediums to be used to communicate the existence of a website and also to communicate to potential visitors that fundamental reason of "what’s in it for me" to visit the site.

Another feature of the Internet as a marketing communications tool is the ease and affordability that the new technology provides in enabling business to contact and keep in contact with existing and potential customers.

So let’s look at some of the ways in which the Internet can be integrated into a company’s marketing communications strategy.

Information on products and services. The great advantage that the internet provides for business is that information, previously communicated via the written word in the form of industry releases, brochures and product manuals, can now be communicated direct to consumers via email. In addition, price changes, product specifications, inventory updates along with sales promotional activities can be kept current and altered the moment they occur and instantly displayed on the company’s website.

Ease of payment. The Internet also provides ease of payment whereby customers can order and purchase goods by simply entering their credit card details on the company’s website. Evidence does however suggest that to date, consumers are somewhat cautious about disclosing their credit card details over the ‘net’. Business still has some way to go in convincing customers of the advantages and the security of Internet financial transactions. Another advantage of the Internet is that customers expect and are quite happy to pay for their goods or services in advance. Great for cash flow.

Open for business. Perhaps the greatest advantage that the Internet offers is that it enables business to be open for business twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Consumers are also able to do business form the comfort of their own home. In their pyjamas if they so desire.

Informing the public. Whilst there are many advantages to customers doing business on the Internet, traditional communication vehicles are still required as an integral part of any businesses marketing communication strategy, as not everyone has access to the Internet. So it is important that business still use print advertisements, radio and television, direct mail initiatives and various sales promotion strategies to market their products and services. The Internet may be great, but it is not a panacea for all the marketing communications requirements that a business may have. In-store sales promotions whereby potential customers can actually experience the taste of a food or drink product cannot be duplicated on the Internet. The smell and feel of a new car has yet to be replicated on the ‘net’.

Newsletters. Another tool that many companies are using as part of their integrated marketing communications strategy is a regular newsletter via the Internet. These are most often provided on a gratis basis and are generally published daily, weekly or monthly. The great thing about these newsletters is that businesses can communicate with one or ten thousand customers for the same cost. That cost is whatever time it takes to write the newsletter, as the distribution cost via email is practically free.

Newsletters and other forms of communication via the Internet are only effective however if the business develops and maintains an extensive and up to date customer database. New sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software abounds in the market place for companies to purchase and integrate into their marketing processes. Systems also need to be designed and implemented to harvest the relevant data from current and prospective customers. Traditional research methods including telemarketing, door-to-door surveys, customer focus groups, and point of sale questionnaires, still have a vital part to play.

The Internet will continue to grow as a powerful marketing communications medium, however it cannot exist in isolation as a stand-alone device. Its power can only be maximised if it is integrated into a company’s total marketing communications strategy.

In summary, there are a many great reasons for business to embrace the ‘high-tech’ of the Internet, however all will be lost if implementing the new technologies is at the expense of ‘high touch’. Business needs to keep foremost in its mind that at the end of the day, its customers are people. The Internet can never replace good old-fashioned customer service for human beings that crave and delight in personal interaction and attention.