Companies need to be aware of the various strands of internet marketing if they are to track their return on investment (ROI), it has been suggested.

Writing on E-Consultancy, managing director of Lynchpin Analytics Andrew Hood claims that getting the right "mix" of email advertising, banners, affiliate marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital in engaging customers to both make purchases and keep them coming back to a website.

He added that companies should look away from the traditional model of ROI which judges purely on sales, as it does not account for the entire process in which consumers come to make purchases or the "research-buy cycle" where users browse the internet for the best deal before making a purchase.

Mr Hood said: "Measuring impact and exploiting campaign synergies is key to maximising return on investment in a competitive online marketplace occupied by increasingly savvy consumers.

"Getting the right mix of product, service and brand to drive sales is vital and digital marketing campaigns can no longer be viewed in isolation."

He added that when users shop for a product online, "they will often interact with multiple channels", pointing to Lynchpin research which indicated 70 per cent of travel buyers do not make a purchase at the first opportunity.

Last month SEO specialist David Naylor claimed that making best use of pay-per-click and organic search techniques was crucial in terms of maximising ROI.