Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Fourth Edition - Lifecycle ...

130 BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS INTERNET MARKETING
Virtually Eliminate Logistical Hassles. Prospects are invited to
come to a special URL in cyberspace instead of a physical place.
You do not need to arrange for hotels, and you do not need to
ship anything anywhere. In fact, you do not even have to show
up anywhere other than on the Web. Web traffic may be heavy,
but it is better than the roads—and the weather is irrelevant.
Provide You with Foolproof Quality Control. The online seminar
is totally controlled by you. The format, content, and timing are
uniform and singular, and therefore completely consistent. You
only have to create it once, no matter how many times someone
sees it. Even if you execute the online seminar as a live event, it
can be archived and repeated.
Attract Qualified Prospects. The online seminar is more convenient
for prospects or customers; they do not need to leave the
office to attend. As a result, the virtual seminar has the potential
to attract not only larger audiences but also a greater number of
senior executives. The online seminar is also a more novel and
intriguing approach than a live seminar. As such, prospects might
find it more compelling to attend.
Cost Substantially Less Than Live Seminars. Online seminars
compare favorably to live events.
Earlier, we looked at the costs and results for a ten-city live seminar
program. Now we will compare the costs and results for an online seminar
program, using the following assumptions:
The seminar will be a one-hour session, conducted entirely over
the Web. The sponsoring company uses an outside firm to create
and host the seminar.
The sponsoring company will hire one guest speaker, who will
provide a presentation for use on the Web. The guest speaker will
also be available for an interactive question-and-answer session,
which will be held during a few preappointed times via teleconference.
Seminar visitors will be able to call a toll-free number to
listen to the presentation, during which Web content is pushed
over the Web. They will also be able to ask questions and listen to
answers via telephone.