Blog One: Concepts, Skill Sets, Reflections

An important and fundamental concept that was learned in chapter five was the difference between organic search engine results and pay-per-click results. If a company wants to be easily found using search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing), it's extremely important to understand how algorithms are used to search pages in order to display relevant results. As chapter five had stated, the top six organic search results are the most frequently visited and users rarely look beyond a few pages of results. When website masters are choosing key words to include, they need to choose words that will increase visibility of their web page while staying within a budget.  Tools are available through Google like Real Time Insight's Finder that can give a webpage owner information on what people are looking for, how people are searching, where people are clicking, and what people are saying and watching. This tool is extremely useful for choosing keywords.

Chapter nineteen's "eMarketing Strategies" offered concepts that were extremely insightful for the Google Online Marketing Challenge. I found Porter's five forces model to be a particularly useful framework in understanding a certain market and strategies that a company should use to stay competitive and attractive in any market. I used Porter's five forces to analyze Pittsburgh's Center for Creative Reuse in order to understand the industry's current competition, the potential of new entrants into the industry, the power of buyers, suppliers and the threat of substitutes. Chapter nineteen narrated on an important lesson in internet marketing:

 "Often, the internet migrates competition primarily to price, this means that organizations seek to attract and retain customers solely through offering services and goods at a lower price, though this is not necessarily the best strategy for companies to follow. Strategic differentiation comes from the value that a company can provide to a consumer."

This is an important point that was made. Most often, companies with the deepest pockets have the best advertisements, the highest pay-per-click rates, and can afford to offer the steepest discounts. This will not be the case for our client. As a non-profit who establishes inventory exclusively from donation, strategic differentiation will be important for our group to capitalize on. What makes the products and service offerings different and unique.  The level of social and environmental responsibility our client is practicing by encouraging people to donate items that would typically be thrown away  and also by encouraging people to reuse them.

The most important skills I've learned in the class so far have been derived from working with my teammates trying to understand our client's needs and how to develop a plan for her business that will meet her goals. This is an extremely important lesson not only in business but in life. Regardless of what position a professional may find him or herself in, problem solving, learning, communicating, teaching, delegating work, meeting deadlines, and brainstorming with colleagues and clients are all skills that are invaluable. I'm looking forward to honing in on these skills throughout the duration of the Google Online Marketing Challenge.