Internet Marketing Handbook

The role of internet marketing in web projects

Internet marketing was never treated as an independent activity running next to the website. It was considered a continuation of the same engineering process: clarify objectives, design the experience, then bring qualified visitors and learn from their behaviour.

In the Dianthos approach, a campaign was only justified if:

• The site could already serve the intended visitors properly.
• There was a clear definition of success (enquiries, bookings, sales, sign-ups).
• Budget and timeframe were realistic for the market and competition.
• Someone was responsible for watching the numbers and acting on them.

Without this structure, money spent on clicks tends to disappear without leaving traceable value.

From business goals to measurable campaigns

Every campaign starts outside the advertising platform, with business questions: What do we want more of? and Who exactly should respond?

Clarifying objectives

• Increase qualified enquiries for a specific service or product line.
• Sell a defined set of products at a sustainable cost per acquisition.
• Drive sign-ups to a newsletter or lead list for later follow-up.
• Promote events, launches or seasonal offers with clear dates.

Mapping the funnel

• Awareness: users discover that the company or offer exists.
• Consideration: users compare, read details, evaluate options.
• Decision: users fill out a form, make a purchase or call.

Campaign structure followed this funnel. Different keyword groups, ads and landing pages were used for users at different stages, instead of expecting a single generic page to do everything.

Search advertising (PPC / SEM)

Search advertising is one of the most precise tools in internet marketing, because it is based on user intent. The question is not “How many clicks did we get?” but “From which queries, at what cost and with which result?”.

Structuring campaigns

• Dividing campaigns by objective (brand, generic terms, competitor terms, remarketing).
• Grouping keywords into tightly themed ad groups with relevant ads.
• Using match types carefully to control which searches triggered the ads.
• Adding negative keywords to filter out clearly irrelevant traffic.

Writing ads

• Reflecting the user’s query in the headline where appropriate.
• Stating a clear value proposition, not just generic promises.
• Including a simple, explicit call to action.
• Ensuring the ad accurately described what the landing page delivered.

The goal was not to win impressions but to attract visitors who were likely to find what they needed and to act.

Landing pages & conversion paths

The effectiveness of internet marketing depends heavily on where visitors arrive. A strong campaign pointing to an unfocused page is a waste of budget.

Characteristics of effective landing pages

• Message match. The headline and main content reflect the promise made in the ad or link.
• Simplicity. One primary action per page wherever possible; secondary actions clearly secondary.
• Evidence. Short, concrete proof: examples, specifications, testimonials, guarantees.
• Low friction. Forms ask only for information necessary at that stage. Errors are clear and recoverable.

Conversion paths were mapped in advance: from first visit to enquiry, from enquiry to follow-up, and from follow-up to sale where the process extended offline.

Measurement, analytics & attribution

Without measurement, internet marketing becomes guesswork. Before launching campaigns, we ensured that analytics and basic attribution were in place.

What we measured

• Visits and engaged sessions by channel and campaign.
• Key conversions: form submissions, calls (where trackable), downloads, transactions.
• Cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) and where possible cost per sale.
• Quality indicators: bounce rate, time on page, depth of visit for key segments.

Technical basics

• Consistent use of tracking parameters (for example UTM tags) on campaign URLs.
• Goal and event configuration aligned with business objectives.
• Testing of tracking before spending significant budget.
• Regular, simple reports rather than rare, complex ones.

The intention was not to track everything, but to track enough to make clear decisions on continuing, adjusting or stopping campaigns.

Budgets, optimisation & learning loops

Effective internet marketing is iterative. Campaigns are hypotheses tested with real users, not fixed assets. Budget allocation reflected this.

Budget and bidding

• Starting with modest budgets until tracking and conversion paths were verified.
• Allocating more budget to campaigns with proven economics, not only higher traffic.
• Reducing spend on keywords and placements that brought visits but no qualified actions.
• Reviewing bids periodically instead of letting defaults run indefinitely.

Optimisation routines

• Regular search term reviews to expand useful queries and exclude poor ones.
• Testing variations in ad copy and landing page elements in a controlled way.
• Comparing performance by device and adjusting bids or experiences accordingly.
• Documenting changes and observations so that learning accumulated over time.

The aim was to create a loop: measure → adjust → measure again, with clear notes on what had been tried.

Coordination with SEO, content & social media

Internet marketing does not exist in isolation. Paid campaigns, organic search work, content production and social activity all influence each other.

Typical coordination points

• Using campaign data (queries, messages) to refine SEO keyword focus and content topics.
• Aligning tone and promises between ads, on-site content and social posts.
• Ensuring that landing pages were indexable and supported organic traffic where appropriate.
• Re-using high-performing content assets in both organic and paid channels.

The goal was coherence: a user who saw an ad, visited the site, searched again and met the brand on social channels should recognise the same underlying message.

A separate handbook page covers social media planning and community aspects in more detail.

Ethics, compliance & respect for users

The fact that a platform allows a certain tactic does not mean it is wise to use it. Over time, intrusive and misleading practices tend to damage both reputation and performance.

Principles we aimed to follow

• Setting realistic expectations in ads and meeting them on landing pages.
• Avoiding aggressive remarketing frequencies and invasive creative.
• Respecting privacy rules and clearly explaining what was being tracked and why.
• Being willing to turn off campaigns that produced volume but not real value.

Sustainable internet marketing treats user attention as a limited resource and aims to use it in a focused, honest way.