A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO DEVELOPING AN ENTERPRISE’S DIGITAL MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS MARKETING MATURITY

Abstract

The differences in the digital presence and web audience dynamics of pet food market businesses were characterised according to their market position and type of product offering, with online retailers classified into three groups. It was determined that broad-range retailers predominantly experienced declines in website traffic and unique visitors, whereas specialised retailers demonstrated more diverse trends in their digital presence. It was established that the scale of the attracted audience is not, in itself, sufficient to ensure high commercial effectiveness of online marketing communications, as substantial traffic volumes may coexist with insufficient levels of user engagement and purchase conversion. The predominance of direct and organic search traffic among specialised retailers was identified, along with a higher degree of channel diversification among broad-range market players. Differences in the behavioural characteristics of web audiences were characterised based on the number of unique visitors, average visit duration, pages viewed per visit, and bounce rate. It was established that certain specialised retailers achieved the highest purchase conversion rates, highlighting the importance of aligning digital communications and product offerings with the needs of target audiences. The appropriateness of a comprehensive assessment of firms’ digital marketing maturity was substantiated, taking into account the scale and structure of their audiences, the diversification of acquisition channels, the quality of user interaction with web resources, and commercial effectiveness. A conceptual model for assessing the effectiveness of online marketing communications was proposed, integrating three interrelated components: audience reach, audience engagement with the web resource, and commercial effectiveness measured through purchase conversion. The potential for further empirical testing of the proposed model across firms of different sizes and business models was identified to determine its applicability boundaries and practical effectiveness.