A Business Research Proposal on Impact of Digital Marketing on Sales

This document presents a business research proposal focused on analyzing the impact of digital marketing on a company's sales. It outlines the terms of reference, research questions, aims, and objectives, including analyzing the influence of digital marketing on sales, understanding its benefits, and examining changes in customer purchasing decisions. The proposal reviews previous research, highlighting the shift from traditional to digital marketing and its advantages, such as increased customer communication and global reach. The methodology section details the use of secondary research to gather data from articles, journals, and internet sources, focusing on customer behavior and company marketing strategies. It also addresses the limitations of the research, particularly the increasing competition in the digital marketplace. Finally, it mentions the resources needed for conducting the study to get effective results for business development.

Business Research Project Proposal Form

Contents
1: The Proposal Template................................................................................................................3
References......................................................................................................................................10
2.1: Ethical Review Form: Part1...................................................................................................12

1: The Proposal Template
Title:
Impact of digital marketing on company's sales.
Terms of reference:
The Internet has become the most important element and aspect in today's business
environment. Marketing is one of the important functions of the company which enables the
companies to promote and advertise its products worldwide. The company’s sales in today’s
competitive business environment largely depend on the digital marketing techniques used
by the management. The reason for the selection of this area for the study is to analyze and
understand the level of impact of the digital marketing on the sales volume of the company.
This area of the study is relevant and interesting as it is the most common concern and
research area chosen in today’s rapidly changing business environment (OSEWE, 2013).
Research question: How does digital marketing influences and impacts the sales of the
company?
Aim: The main aim of the research study is to identify and analyze the impact and influence
of the digital marketing techniques on the sales of the company. The research project also
aims at analyzing the importance of digital marketing for enhancing the overall performance
of the business and to know how the specialists in this field execute the marketing plans and
measure its success.
Objectives: The research study is carried out with the following objectives-
 To analyze the impact of the digital marketing on the sales of the company as well as
the operations of the business.
 To analyze the importance and benefits of digital marketing for the business.
 To analyze the change in the purchasing decisions of the customers due to the digital

marketing.
 To obtain knowledge about the type of products which are acquired b the customers
using the digital distribution channels.
 To understand the relationship between the digital marketing and the purchasing
decision of the customers.
 To understand the ways in which companies can reach out a large number of
customers through the social media websites.
 To analyze the ways in which social media sources are used by the companies to
grow and develop the business (Pawar, 2014).
The scope of the study: The scope of the research study is wide as it will enable the
researcher to analyze the importance of the digital marketing in the development of the
business and in increasing the sales of the company. The main scope of the research study is
to obtain the knowledge about the benefits of digitally marketing the products of the
company and to analyze to what extent the sales of the company is influenced with digital
marketing.
Relation to previous research:
According to Mahalaxmi & Ranjith (2016), marketing is the process which is used by the
companies to promote and advertise their products and services for growing and developing
the market. Digital marketing is the marketing process which is used by the companies to
promote and advertise their products with the use of digital technologies. In the olden
business era, traditional methods of marketing were used to sell the products of the
company. Later, with the advancements in the internet technology, the connection between
the company and the customers established. The connection and communication between the
company and the customers went on increasing with the passing time. The social media
platforms and other digital platforms enabled the companies to promote their products as
well as services on a large scale. The companies are now able to directly communicate with

the customers over the internet sources and are able to solve their queries and problems
within a limited period of time. Digital marketing has enabled businesses to gain a
competitive edge in the competitive business environment. Today’s businesses make use of
digital sources for marketing their products instead of traditional methods of marketing. The
customers mostly purchase and go for the products which are made visible to them in an
attractive manner. Digital platforms are used by the companies to share the information
about their products and services on a quick basis and on a global level (Mahalaxmi &
Ranjith, 2016).
As per the viewpoints of Abbas (2017), there are various advantages and benefits of the
digital marketing for the entire business organisation. It helps the companies to showcase
the products available to them to the customers and the general public. It saves much of the
time of the company in promoting the products and management is able to attract a large
number of customers towards it nationally and internationally. Marketing the products
digitally provides the companies with special advantage and enables them to gain a
competitive edge in the market. Lots of time is saved with the digital marketing and sales
volume is increased within a limited period of time which proves to be beneficial for the
company in all respects. It also enables the companies to build effective relationships with
the customers across the globe and get their reviews on the products so as to make changes
and modifications as per the needs of the customers. Increased communication with the
customers enables the company to boost up the sales volume and gain the trust of the
customers. Digital marketing provides the customers with the ease of shopping at one place
and browse for the desired products. This results in the increase in sales volume of the
company’s products as well as services (Abbas, 2017).
According to Wilson (2017), digital marketing completely includes promoting the products
through internet sources and availability of internet services in certain areas is restricted
which creates hurdles in making the public aware of the products. When the customers
search for particular product’s information over the internet, many competing companies’
products appear which affects the sales of the companies. Availability of the branded
products over the internet affects the sales of the local products. The complaints of the

customers are visible over the internet sources and websites which affect the image and
reputation of the company. It becomes difficult for the company to manage the digital
marketing techniques in case of lack of professionals. For establishing the business and
increasing the sales, a considerable amount of time is taken when the company opts for
digital marketing. Ineffective marketing strategies can affect the sales promotion techniques
of the company and thus it would affect the overall performance of the business (Wilson,
2017).
(Source: Gaur, 2013)
From the above graph, it has been depicted that digital marketing is used by the companies with
various means and objectives. The major purpose of digital marketing by the companies is to
drive the sales and report a tremendous increase in the sales volume of the products. Digital
marketing techniques are used by the companies to make the customers and the general
audience aware about the wide variety of the products of the company, cover large customer
segments, involve customers and their viewpoints in the business, use their suggestions for
enhancing the entire business process, save much time and cost for increasing the productivity of
the business.

(Source: Chaffey, 2016)
From the above graph, it has been depicted that most of the companies make use of digital
marketing sources to market and promote their products as well as services globally.
Content marketing is the method which is widely used by the companies due to its
effectiveness and benefits for the businesses.
In the words of Hajli (2014), this area of the business requires appropriate research as with
the information about the digital marketing the businesses will be able to market its
products, increase their sales volume, and improve the efficiency of the business etc with
the proper use of digital marketing sources. The company needs to formulate an effective
digital marketing strategy and plan so that it can gain a competitive edge in the market. The
research is important to be conducted so that the businesses can know the influence of the
digital marketing on the sales of the company. The main limitation of the research is the
increasing competition in the market in terms of increased sales of the products as well as
services. The increasing level of competition has influenced the sales of the products of the
company to a large extent. Many companies are promoting their products over the internet
sources and other digital sources but fail to succeed in the market due to the increasing
competition level. This influences the overall outcome and conclusion of the research study

project (Hajli, 2014).
According to Leeflang, et. al., (2014), from the literature review, much information is
collected by the researcher regarding the importance and benefits of digital marketing for
the overall business. The literature review explains the ways in which the digital marketing
influences the sales of the company’s products as well as services. It explains the increase in
the profitability level of the company on the appropriate usage of the digital sources for
marketing the products. The project is on analyzing the impact of the digital marketing on
the sales volume of the company. The project is largely interlinked with the literature
review. The aim of the research study is to understand whether the profits and revenues of
the company are influenced positively or negatively by digital marketing. The literature
review clearly explains the major benefits of the digital marketing for the enhancement of
the overall business (Leeflang, et. al., 2014).
Methodology:
There are various methods in which research can be carried out to collect and gather the
information relating to the impact of the digital technology on the sales of the company.
Quantitative and the qualitative methods are the main research methods which are used for
gathering information in particular field. These research methods include primary as well as
the secondary data and both are important in their own way. Primary data is collected
through surveys and questionnaires and includes a collection of the data on the first-hand
basis. It is the method in which the responses are collected from the respondents through
various means. Secondary data is collected from second-hand sources such as articles,
journals, newspapers, internet sources etc. Both the research methods and collected data
provide relevant and accurate data in different ways.
Secondary research method provides relevant and reliable data as it is the data which is
already analyzed and published other authors and publishers. Secondary data research is the
better way to collect and gather information as it is the most time-saving method of
collecting the data. It saves the time and money of the researcher and enables them to
collect information in the most cost-effective manner. In this research study, the method

which will be used to collect the information regarding the digital marketing will be the
secondary research method. Secondary data will be used because a variety of information
related to the area can be gathered for carrying out the research. As it will be used in the
research project, the data will be collected from internet sources and other secondary data
sources. The reviews and the behaviour of the customers in relation to the products of the
company promoted through digital sources will be collected and analyzed (Bhanot, 2011).
The ways and methods in which the company promotes its products digitally will be
analyzed to find the effectiveness of the marketing plan. The level of interaction between
the company and the customers over the internet sources will be analyzed to know the
satisfaction level of the customers for the products of the company. In the research study,
the researcher will focus on analyzing the demand for the products and the services of the
customers on digital platforms. The demand will enable the researcher to evaluate the
importance of the digital marketing in promoting the products of the company on large scale
basis. The sales volume of the company will be evaluated after the promotion of the
products through digital platforms.
Resources:
For conducting the research study, there are various resources which are required to be used
for getting effective results. Research study includes the various activities and steps which
are required to be accomplished by the researcher and every activity and task requires
appropriate resources to effectively complete the research. The main resources which are
required in the research study are the financial resources, the secondary data which includes
the information about the impact and influence of the digital marketing on the sales
performance of the company and marketing plan of the company for analyzing its
effectiveness on the performance of the business.

References
 Abbas, Z., 2017. Advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing. [Online]
Digital strategist. Available at: http://www.digitalstrategist.tk/2017/03/advantages-
and-disadvantages-of-digital-marketing.html. [Accessed on: 17 March 2018].
 Bhanot, S., 2011. A study on impact of social media on company performance. College
of Management Studies, pp.1-14.
 Chaffey, D., 2016. Marketing Trends for 2016 – Will we be in a post-digital era?
[Online] Smart Insights. Available at: https://www.smartinsights.com/managing-
digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/marketing-trends-2016/. [Accessed on: 17
March 2018].
 Gaur, R., 2013. 5 Tips for Improving the Digital Marketing Strategy for Your Business.
[Online] Small Biz Technology. Available at:
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2013/08/5-tips-for-improving-the-digital-
marketing-strategy-for-your-business.html/#.Wq0oZdRubIU. [Accessed on: 17 March
2018]
 Hajli, M.N., 2014. A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International
Journal of Market Research, Vol. 56, No. 3, pp.387-404.
 Leeflang, P.S., Verhoef, P.C., Dahlström, P. and Freundt, T., 2014. Challenges and
solutions for marketing in a digital era. European management journal, Vol. 32, No. 1,
pp.1-12.
 Mahalaxmi, K.R., & Ranjith, P., 2016. A Study on Impact of Digital Marketing in
Customer Purchase Decision in Trichy. International Journal for Innovative Research in
Science & Technology. Vol. 2, No. 10. pp. 332-338.
 OSEWE, G.O., 2013. The effectiveness of internet advertising on consumer behaviour:
the case of university of nairobi students. Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITY OF·
NAIROBI.

 Pawar, A., 2014. Study of the effectiveness of online Marketing on integrated Marketing
Communication. School of Management, DY Patil University.
 Wilson, H., 2017. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Digital marketing?.
[Online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-Digital-marketing. [Accessed on: 17 March 2018].

2.1: Ethical Review Form: Part1
Student Statement Insert X Student Action
Statement
1
I have read the above
information. I confirm that
my research does not include
a study on human
participants.
X
You do not need to complete
Part 2 of this form. Ethics
approval is not required.
Statement
2
I have read the above
information. I confirm that
my research does involve the
study on human participants.
X Please proceed to complete
Part 2 of this form.