Internet Marketing Project Guidelines

Team Structure

I will divide the class into teams of 3 to 4 members. You will find a list of hints for effective teams in your syllabus. Effective teams don't just happen; it takes a conscious effort on the part of every team member. Read these tips and use them. They work!

Each team will work with a local business client. In essense, you will develop an internet marketing plan and design a web site for your client. You will also present your plan and web site to the client at the end of the semester. This is a large task, and all of you will have to work together to do it.

Written Requirements for your Marketing Plan

The requirements for formatting the written version of your plan are as follows:

The total length of the project is thirty-five (35) pages, including text, charts, graphics, end notes, etc.
The body of your plan cannot exceed fifteen (25) typed pages, double spaced.
The font size must be large enough to be read easily (use a 12 point font)
Each page must be numbered
There must be at least a 1" margin on all sides of each page
Source documents (including Web sites) are to be referenced at the end of the outline as end notes. This does not count as part of the 25-page limit, but it does count towards the 35 page total.
Support documentation such as graphs, charts, printouts of your web site, etc., are to be put in an appendix at the end of your plan (the appendix does not count as part of the 25 page limit but is subject to the 35 page limit)
A cover sheet is to be included with the name of your company, name of your product, the course name, and the names, e-mail addresses, and JMU ID's of each team member.
One part of your written requirements is to produce a newsletter that will be sent via e-mail to all other class members and to myself. Your newsletter must be substantive, contain several free suggestions that real clients could put into practice, contain at least 15 URL's to other sites containing Internet marketing information, and it must also gently market your services as an Internet Marketing consulting firm. You must mail your newsletter no later than Thursday, June 26th, 1997. Mail it to marketing@zilker.net.

All written plans are due on Friday, June 27, 1997 at 9:00 a.m. Any plan submitted after this time will be penalized 10% points for each day or portion of the day late, including weekends. There is no penalty for turning the plan in early. Also, any plan that exceeds the 25-page body limit or 35 page total limit will be penalized 10% for each page or portion of a page over the limit. If the type of your plan is too small or too light to be read easily, the plan will be returned to be redone and the team grade will be penalized 10% for each day or portion of a day until the retyped copy is submitted.

Questions for Internet Marketing Project

What follows are questions to be used as a guide in developing your Internet marketing plan. Remember, these questions are only a guide to direct your thinking. Embellish upon the information you include in your project as you see appropriate to present a convincing and effective plan.

Internet Considerations

What elements lead to successfully marketing a product on the Internet?
What characteristics are unique to this medium?
What products are amenable to Internet marketing?
Is your product appropriate for marketing on the Internet?
What type of Internet service provider will you need?
How do you pay for products purchased on the Internet?
What role do the Usenet News Groups, the World Wide Web, e-mail, and listservs play in marketing your product?
Which of the four P’s is (are) most appropriately exploited on the Internet? Which are most appropriate for your product?
What is the role of customer service? What role can the Internet play in customer service enhancement?
How should you promote your web site? What online strategies should you use? What offline strategies should you use?
How can the Internet be used to enhance your corporate image? How can it be used for publicity?
How can the Internet enhance the sales cycle? How can it increase awareness, interest, desire, action, payment, and delivery?
What are the demographics of Internet users? Of your target customers?
What are the pitfalls of marketing on the Internet?
What activities should you not do on the Internet?
What does the future hold for conducting business on the Internet?
What role does the Internet play in the overall marketing plan for the product?
What constitutes successful Internet marketing?
How do you measure successful Internet marketing?

Specific Questions to Address in Your Internet Marketing Plan

What are my goals in using the Internet to market my product/service?
What should my domain name be?
What will potential users of my site think of my efforts?
Is my site a repository for information?
What plan do I have to create and maintain content?
What is my link strategy?
Should I use any advanced Internet technologies?
How should my site be interactive?
Should I use a database in the future?
Is my site content fluid or static?
What is my long-run interactive strategy?
Will mass customization be an issue for me? Why or why not?
What is my outbound marketing strategy? How am I effectively using e-mail to market my product/service?
What is my integration strategy?
Will I actually conduct commerce on my site? If so, how?
How will potential customers pay for their purchases? What security issues should I consider?
Would it be appropriate to give my site some "personality"?
What are my global efforts? Is my product marketable to a global consumer?
Should I form any strategic alliances with other businesses?
Do I continue to assure that the web site is meeting the needs of my stakeholders? Is it successfully reducing costs, increasing sales, and/or improving communications with stakeholders? Is it meeting my corporate objectives?
Am I engaging in proactive marketing on the Internet?
Am I engaging in proactive marketing off the Internet?
How can I increase traffic to my site?

Developing Web Pages

Each group is to develop a Web site for their client. In addition, each group member is also to develop her or his own personal home page.

Group Web Page
The Web page developed by the group for your chosen product or service MUST contain ALL of the following elements:

Links to at least two (2) other internal Web pages that contain additional information about your product or service. The syllabus and the Marketing on the Internet Resources Page are examples of internal Web pages with respect to this page. They are both located on the same falcon server here at JMU.
Links to at least two (2) other external Web pages that are similar or are related to your product. These are links to pages developed by other companies. For example, the Walt Disney and MTV home pages are examples of external Web pages. If you use a Jump Station strategy, you should have several dozen links on your site.
At least two graphics. Don't over do it with graphics, but make your page aesthetically pleasing.
Links to the personal home pages of ALL team members. This is in addition to the two external links mentioned above. Suggestion: give your team an imaginary name (e.g., "Web Weavers"), and add a line at the bottom of your client's page that says something like Created by Web Weavers. Make an internal link to another document that then lists all of the group members, and link each group member to her/his own personal home page.
A feedback option (either links to your e-mail addresses, your company's e-mail address or, if you are daring, feedback via forms. For more information on using forms at JMU, go to the Falcon forms page).

You will be required to load your project onto a server. I recommend selecting one group member to load the site on her or his falcon account. You will turn in the URL when you submit the written marketing plan. Each group member will load her or his own personal home page on her or his falcon account. The written project and the web site will be due on June 27th, 1997, at the beginning of class.

Personal Web Page
In addition to the group Web page, each team member must also develop her or his own personal Web page. Each personal Web page must contain ALL of the following elements:

A link to at least one internal page.
Links to at least 2 other external pages.
A graphic.
A numbered or unnumbered list (this is an example of a numbered list).
A link to your e-mail address.

You will be required to link your personal Web page to your group project. The personal home page, along with the group project, will be due on June 27th, 1997 at the beginning of class.

Grading

Grading of both the written plan and the group Web page will be on a team basis. Your written plan will be graded based on comprehensiveness, cohesion, creativity, and organization.

Your Team Web pages will graded on these criteria: inclusion of the elements mentioned above, appropriateness of the Web page for marketing your product or service, and an examination of your code (is it sloppy, or well-ordered?).

Peer evaluations will also be used for grading individual performance on this project. For more information, see the peer evaluation form in your syllabus.

In addition to the group project, you will also be graded individually based on your personal home pages. I will use these criteria: inclusion of the elements mentioned above, aesthetics, and an examination of your code (is it sloppy, or well-ordered?).

Concluding Thoughts

This project is designed to give you an opportunity to put into practice the marketing concepts and theories discussed in this course during the semester. It is also designed to provide you with a hands-on experience with a dynamic and growing new medium, the World Wide Web. Finally, it should provide you with an outlet for your imagination, creativity, and innovation. So...

Relax and have some fun with this!!

Developed and maintained by Dr. Newell Wright, Assistant Professor of Marketing in the College of Business at James Madison University. Contact Dr. Wright at wrightnd@jmu.edu. Last updated on June 2, 1997.