Web Development / Internet Marketing Blog

2012 has been a busy one for Lima Bean. While we’ve almost doubled in size (touching 30 now) we’ve barely been able to keep up with all the work. South Africa is traditionally a few years behind the developed world, but this year, a lot of catching up has been done.

Lima Bean recently collaborated on an innovative project to produce an interactive digital comic. We were approached by Strika Entertainment, a Cape Town-based comic and animation production studio, with the concept of taking their “Supa Strika” comic digital.

Over the past few years digital marketing (aka internet marketing) has, in some form or another, found a valuable and permanent place among the majority of South African corporates and agencies. And while traditional marketing is certainly still relevant, you’re more likely to find campaigns that incorporate both direct and online marketing tactics.

Not so long ago, internet users were often confronted with websites that either left them blinded by clashing neon colours, or utterly confused by inadequate navigation, or both.

If you’re a brand or company that pays attention to analytics and takes digital seriously then the chances are you know the percentage of your audience which access your website via a mobile device. If it’s significant, say more than 20-30%, then you probably already have or are in the process of developing a mobile website.

E-commerce is by no means a new concept, although in South Africa it only truly began to take hold in 2005, when people started adopting ADSL. Internationally, particularly in the US and Europe, widespread use of commerce goes back further than that. From our side, limited and often unaffordable internet access, coupled with lax implementation of security systems for making online payments and submitting sensitive information, were primary reasons for our delay in embracing e-commerce.

Content Management Systems (CMS) are by no means a new phenomenon; in fact they’ve been around in simplified form for at least a decade or two. It’s in recent years though that they’ve become increasingly popular with people and companies who require more control over their website.

It’s now (thankfully) common knowledge that a meticulously strategized social media campaign can do wonders for your brand awareness and exposure, especially when incorporated as part of your overall internet marketing campaign. Of course, social media is by no means the answer for each and every company, and even then you have to be careful to select which platform is best geared towards your brand, customers and target audience.

There’s no denying that mobile devices and internet connections have improved ten-fold over the past few years. There’s also no doubt that the future of IT is swiftly going mobile, along with everything connected to it, such as e-commerce

  Whilst no stranger to most of the major international markets, internet marketing (a.k.a. online marketing, digital marketing, e-marketing or web marketing), is at long last making a name for itself in South Africa, and it brings with it massive potential.