Internet marketing as a business necessity

KEY WORDS 
internet marketing, digital marketing, online marketing, online consumer 
CLASSIFICATION 
JEL: 
L89, M31 

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A. Grubor and O. 
Jakša 
266 
INTRODUCTION 
Globally, the number of web sites increased from 17 million in 2000 to 1 billion US$ in 2014 [1]. 
Worldwide business-to-consumer e-commerce sales increase by 20,1 % in 2014 reaching 
1500 trillion US$ [2]. There is an expansion of online and mobile users across the globe, 
especially from emerging markets, m-commerce sales is constantly rising, shipping and 
payment options have been simplified and major global brands have been pushed into new 
international markets [2]. The age of Internet and digitalization is here, and Internet economy 
is growing rapidly each day. 
Following improvements in mobile and tablet technology, together with social media, 
marketing has set itself in a new, complex and challenging market environment. Internet has 
become the primary business playground and the most popular communication channel, 
creating new rules and new roles on both supply and demand side, and Internet marketing and 
e-commerce have emerged as a major preoccupations and business skills in all industrial 
branches. Marketing has become completely new discipline today compared with the one that 
was known a decade ago, making traditional marketing methods less effective and expensive [3]. 
Thus, the aim of this article is to examine fundamentals of Internet-based marketing, starting 
with pointing out its scope and terminology variety, since it is a wide used term and very 
popular subject of research. By analysing online customer behaviours and new models of 
interaction and communication among customers, authors point out all challenges and 
opportunities that should be addressed by modern companies in their Internet marketing 
strategies, together with limitations and risks that emerged in electronic marketplace. Relying 
on secondary research method, that implies detailed analysis of researches and studies in the 
given field, the article has made a contribution in modern discussion how Internet 
improvements are going to create even more dynamic and challenging business environment 
in just next few years, and point out that embracing digital marketplace rules and engaging in 
full range of Internet marketing activities is a necessity for companies across all industries.