IMM: Businesses Not Optimising Internet As Marketing Tool

KUALA LUMPUR - The current state of infrastructure is not helping businesses to optimise the Internet as a marketing tool, according to the Institute of Marketing Malaysia (IMM).

"The policies are there but the infrastructure has got to support it. Even though we have broadband, it is expensive, slow and not available all over," said IMM president Sharifah Mohd Ismail.

According to Sharifah, Malaysians currently are not yet on the right level in using the Internet as a marketing tool for business but are definitely into it.

"We are still more comfortable with one-to-one communication. It is definitely an uphill task to change their perspective but the learning process has got to be done," she told reporters after attending a seminar on Internet marketing here today.

At the seminar, eMarketing Strategy president Ruth Stevens said the best way of utilising the Internet as a marketing tool is "having a great website, strong search engine marketing programme and using email".

"These things need to be applied strategically to support business objectives," said Stevens.

"A lot of the people are doing Internet marketing without strategic focus. It is better to create a backup on how to use the Internet to achieve their marketing plan," she said.

According to Stevens, new social media tools such as Facebook can be exploited for marketing but they are still at an experimental stage.

"They are immature as marketing vehicles. So, I would say it is better to spend time and effort on the more proven solid Internet vehicles such as a great website," she said.

The seminar, titled "The Best Internet Marketing Techniques Today", attracted more than 120 participants comprising professionals, entrepreneurs, managers and executives from various industries.


[bernama]