Page 210 - Electronic Commerce

Marketing on the Web

Web Site Characteristics That
Category Online Objective Attract These Visitors
Simplifiers Convenience Tools or facilities that make doing business
easier, faster, or more efficient
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Surfers Find information, new ideas Content that is entertaining, attractive,
well displayed, and constantly updated
Bargainers Find a good deal Auctions, discounts, coupons, and sales

Connectors Stay in touch with others Chat rooms, discussion boards, social networking
features, online greeting cards, e-mail services

Routiners Information in one place News, financial information, a familiar and stable
user interface
Sportsters Information in one place Sports, entertainment, a familiar and stable
user interface

Adapted from: Forsyth, J., T. McGuire, J. Lavoie. 2000. All Visitors Are Not Created Equal. Boston: McKinsey & Co.
and MediaMetrix.
FIGURE 4-4 Web site visitor categories based on a behavioral segmentation study
Other research studies have identified similar sets of characteristics and categories.
Companies in different industries or lines of business identify somewhat different sets of
characteristics and group their Web site visitors using different names. The challenge for
Web businesses is to identify which groups are visiting their sites and formulate ways of
generating revenue from each segment. For example, some of these groups (such as
simplifiers and bargainers) are ready to buy and would be interested in seeing specific
product or service offerings. Other groups (such as surfers, routiners, and sportsters) would
be good targets for specific types of advertising messages. As more researchers study Web
site visitor behavior, perhaps the industry will learn how to recognize the various modes in
which visitors arrive and then channel them into the appropriate sections of the site. Until
then, many Web sites use Dell’s approach, in which visitors are asked to identify themselves
as belonging to a particular category of customer when they enter the sites.
Customer Relationship Intensity and Life-Cycle Segmentation
One goal of marketing is to create strong relationships between a company and its
customers. The reason that one-to-one marketing and usage-based segmentation are so
valuable is that they help to strengthen companies’ relationships with their customers.
Good customer experiences can help create an intense feeling of loyalty toward the
company and its products or services.
Researchers have identified several stages of loyalty as customer relationships develop
over time: the stages include awareness, exploration, familiarity, and commitment. The
commitment stage can last a long time; indeed, it is every marketer’s hope that it goes on
forever. However, many customers lose their connections to a particular seller and enter a

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