Nordstrom and Internet Marketing

Many companies have begun to embrace the simple, yet powerful concept of internet marketing and have adopted into their normal marketing actions. Nordstrom is a perfect, direct example of a company that is seeking to reap the benefits that internet marketing has to offer.  One visit to their site, as well as related topic sites such as clothing blogs, will almost certainly win you over.

When visiting Nordstrom's website, you will immediately feel the strong, helpful customer service that the company is so well known for. Free shipping and free returns are clearly advertised well to make customers feel comfortable in making any online orders. Recommendations and rewards programs are also strategically placed for the benefit of interested and potential customers. Navigating the site and sorting choices / categories is a simple feat and I promise you will always know when there is a worthwhile sale going on at the store.  And to top it all off, links to Nordstrom's social media sites can be easily followed at the bottom of their page.

What helps clinch Nordstrom's success in internet marketing is the companies placement of ads on other sites. Whether this be on Google or blogs, ads for Nordstrom will be shown, many times showing the items you may have been looking at on their website or recommended / related products. These ads work wonders at reminding customers of items they may not have fully followed through on purchasing or informing them of items they were interested in that are now on sale.  It is internet marketing strategies like this that will continue to bring in more and more happy customers.

Sevenly Draws You In

Sevenly is a for profit company that is entirely about giving. Every week they promote a new cause for a separate charity through the selling of various fashion items (t shirts, sweaters, hand bags). For every purchase, $7 is donated to the particular cause of the moment. Sevenly's survival is entirely dependent on effective internet marketing. The reason that they have already donated close to two million dollars in just two years is their ability to get their message spread across a variety of online channels. As far as I can tell, the don't participate in any offline advertising or promotions.

I was told about Sevenly through a social medium and decided to follow their facebook page. Weekly, they post about their various causes in creative and engaging methods. They share first hand stories and draw active participation from their followers. They are creative in how they promote as well. For every charitable mission they create videos and media that is easy to share across multiple channels. On their website they highlight all that they're doing in the online world whether this is from press coverage, pinterest, instagram, or twitter. They are so immersed in their online presence that they highlight "total shares" first and foremost on their webpage. Sevenly is a creative company to definitely keep an eye on. They recently even began a campaign to raise funds to develop a reality tv pilot centered around their organization and various causes. They used video and encouraged supporters to go as far as to reach out to well known celebrities who might support the cause.

The Internet Marketing Genius of REI

The Internet Marketing Genius of REI

From their website to their Facebook page, to their YouTube page and Twitter page, REI gets Internet marketing right by delivering content that is easily consumable and interesting to their audience. They don't advertise all of their social marketing efforts on their website for some reason, but they are involved elsewhere on the web, including Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Flickr.

They've gone regional with their Facebook accounts Twitter feeds, with accounts set up for regions all over America, including in the Puget Sound, the NYC Tri-state area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and many more, to give their local audiences a better sense of being connected specifically to their local REI stores.

As far as advertising is concerned, they do a great job of targeting their audience. I fit nicely in their box of customers, so I frequently see their ads pop up as I navigate my way through the Internet. They buy ads and placement on Google, but apparently not on Bing. 

REI has also extended their reach to mobile with several different apps to engage their customers expand their brand, including their REI Shopping App, REI Visa App, REI Snow Report App, and a mobile web app for any phone.

They have created a massive amount of content (more than 350 articles) that is directed at their audience and customers in their Expert Advice area of their website, complete with original video that accompanies many of the articles, which helps anyone interested learn about everything from rocker for skis to backpack fit adjusting.

REI has also created online projects led by their audience, namely their REI 1440 Project, which allows outdoor enthusiasts to upload their own picture of something they did in the outdoors to a certain minute of one day and browse all of the other pictures that others had uploaded. The project is still running, so it will be exciting to see what they do with it when all the minutes are full. The project allows people from all over the world to add their pictures, like them on Facebook, and share them with their friends, a great Internet marketing and branding effort.

For other insights into REI's Internet marketing efforts, please see a few of my past post on their Facebook page.

Company Goal Setting = Experience Purchasing

When I think about some of my favorite companies, Lululemon comes to mind not because I spend lots of money on yoga attire (I don't even do yoga) but becuase they care about their employees and that is shown by their goal setting program which they encourage customers and community to participate in, as well. Also, they inspire something inside of me which I am not sure what to call other than (inventing term right now) "experience purchasing." I am not big on buying items but I love the chance to purchase access to an event, weekend retreat or camp.

I've had Lululemon on my radar for over 8 years. Following its popularity as an active, health-focused company, Lululemon introduced a new line of clothing and gear for running.This got me excited and soon I was clicking through their website and visiting the every page with pleasure. And then, there was one thing that made me bookmark the site on my favorites tab. This company has an ironclad focus on goal-setting and self-improvement.

The "Community" tab shows how the company does more than just make clothing. They want to be involved with the customer's life and success. They went as far as showing a video of the Lululemon founder talking about goal setting and how it shaped his life. They even have downloadable worksheets you can print out and use to track your progress. Something about this committment makes me feel closer to the company and more willing to purchase their gear over other brands because their ability to do more than just churn out clothing is apparent.



The excitement the community bloggers show is contagious. Although I wasn't clicking my way to buy Lululemon mechandise per se, I found myself wanting to do more than purchase an item--I wanted to participate in their community--purchase an experience and then I found mysellf clicking on a link for their Vancouver based yoga and half marathon weekend. Vroom! Whoops. Sold out. I was grabbing my wallet but now I'm marking my calendar to do this race in 2014.

Keeping It Simple

Internet marketing is everywhere, in all forms. To me, a huge factor in internet marketing is providing a great user experience. So whether companies use social media sites, or personal websites to promote their internet marketing, none of matters if consumers do not have a remarkable experience. When it comes down to picking a favorite, IKEA's website is a great example of internet marketing.

People visiting the website start by selecting which IKEA location is most convenient to them. This step ensures they navigate to the homepage with the language they understand and the merchandise available in that particular IKEA store.

Consumers are now welcome to roam a super user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and inspiring website. My favorite part is the display of beautiful photos showcasing their products. I visit IKEA's website just to get decorating ideas. The down side is their images are so incrediblty inspriing, I want to throw out all my stuff and replace it all with new IKEA furniture and accessories! Of course I will not do that, but sure wish I could afford to!


Aside from their alluring photographs, IKEA's website is one of the easiest websites to navigate. With a strong search engine and clear categories, trying to find what you need is very simple. Even better are the options to interact with IKEA. Talk with IKEA, find out how to shop at IKEA, and provide feedback - all directly from their website.


For me to "enjoy" a website, there needs to be great imagery, an easy-to-use interface, and a way to connect with the brand. IKEA's website offers all these elements and each time I visit it, I have a great user experience.

http://www.ikea.com/

ModCloth is cut for me!

If you can get me to click an ad that's on the side or top or bottom of my browser as I'm surfing through the interwebs, then you're doing something right.

Well, ModCloth did just that. A few years ago I was presented with an ad featuring some cute frock, and it got me. I clicked through, and I've been shopping there ever since.

ModCloth does an excellent job at internet marketing. They shower their current customers with email love and they reach new customers through well targeted ads.

For their devoted customers, they send all sorts of helpful emails, as you can see from my inbox below. They send emails with contests, emails to let you know what styles are most loved, emails when something you've liked is almost sold out or when something you've liked has been restocked, the all-important email with offers, and other emails to keep you constantly intrigued. It's stuff you like though, so you actually read the emails, unlike some other emails that just come in and you never bother to open.

For potential new customers, they will find you. Their marketing team has done a great job to direct their ads and find new business.

And, let's not forget word of mouth marketing because ModCloth has plenty. They make it really easy to share products with friends via email or social media, and for anyone who happens to come to their site from word of mouth marketing, ModCloth makes sure to greet them with bright colors, free shipping offers, and top-rated and new items first thing on the site. If you scroll down, below the fold, they have other helpful and engaging components like "Modstylist's picks" and "voice your choice."

So yeah, maybe I'm biased because I think their clothes are cute, but then again, I have a lot of friends who also shop there now, so ModCoth must be doing something right.

Alison Gresik: A Web Marketing Example for Artists, Writers, and Coaches

Alison Gresik is a writer and creativity coach currently based in Vancouver, BC, whose work I've encountered through the literary journal I work for, Image. Since many of our blog posts focus on larger companies, I thought I'd take a look at what constitutes excellent web marketing for a personal brand--and Alison's creativity coaching site immediately came to mind. I'd describe her approach as one that's perfectly tooled towards "web-based word-of-mouth."  

Alison's website (self-titled, with a byline of "Design Your Art-Committed Life") has a bifold purpose: to promote her services as a creativity coach and to showcase and promote her writing, published in Alison Gresik's Field Guide to Truth and Beauty and the upcoming Pilgrimage of Desire. As a creativity coach Alison clearly needs to gain the trust of her clients even before they make the commitment to sign up for coaching, and the warm, personal, self-revelatory blog posts she publishes on her website are a wonderful way to make a connection with potential clients. One of her most widely shared posts details her journey through what she calls "walking depression," an illness that took her longer to acknowledge because she was still functioning (in the practical sense) as normal. Alison's story of her illness and her recovery is a relatable one to many creative people, and whether online or in-person, making yourself vulnerable to others is a way to disarm them and create a bond. Plus, when you feel like you know someone, you're more likely to want to talk them up, whether in person or on the web (as I'm doing right now!).

Speaking of connection, Alison's website always shares the love with a sizable list of shout-outs and links at the end of every post. She never fails to point out other creativity coaches, artists, friends, and articles that have inspired her--which works on so many levels that I don't know why more bloggers or web-based entrepreneurs don't do it. More links is better for SEO, and it's rewarding for readers who are looking for a variety of content. Plus, giving others recognition builds relationship and goodwill with them, and builds an image of being confident, curious, and interesting to third-party readers.

Compelling Content

Men's Health has expanded their brand and their online presence significantly through their website, menshealth.com. It provides a resource for all things men's health related and updates their website throughout the day.  Various elements make Men's Health my favorite "online marketing website."  I personally enjoy their health related articles pertaining to diet.  They also provide related advertising next to each of their articles.  The placement of their advertising varies depending on the media being viewed: side bar, header and flash.  They do a great job of marketing their mail subscriptions in between pages that offers a "thanks but no thanks" button to pass the offer and move on the desired webpage (see photo).  

The video and workout content provides a one-stop-shop for all things men's health related.  They offer free content as well as paid content.  The mix provides enough to draw back daily visitors and enough paid content to draw mail subscribers.  My view of a successful website has changed since the inception of Twitter.  Twitter funnels all relevant information one would like to consume which pushes companies to provide compelling content other than "how to buy my product/service."