In the digital era, the success of your business hinges largely on your online marketing strategy. This involves understanding your audience, identifying your goals, establishing the metrics to measure those goals, and implementing tactics to achieve them. Online marketing strategy, at its core, involves asking and answering critical questions at every step so that you can design and implement the most effective plan. Here, we will delve into the must-answer questions that will guide your online marketing strategy:

1. **What’s the current position of your business?**

The first step in any strategic planning process requires an assessment of your current situation. Understanding where you are allows you to map out where you want to go. Here, you need to evaluate your target market, your unique selling proposition (USP), your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats that lie ahead. Conduct a SWOT analysis to help you understand your current status and to construct a roadmap to your desired future.

2. **Who is your ideal customer?**

Knowing your target market is fundamental to marketing. You need a deep understanding of who your ideal customer is – their demographics, desires, and decision-making processes. Consider using Persona development and segmentation tools to get into the minds of your customers.

3. **Who are your online competitors?**

Identifying and understanding your competitors is essential. They can provide valuable insights into what works and doesn’t work in your industry. Conducting a thorough competitive analysis will reveal strategies and tactics that you can learn from or even improve upon.

4. **What are your online marketing goals?**

Every decision you make regarding your online marketing strategy should reflect your broader business goals. Whether your goal is increasing website traffic, enhancing brand awareness, or driving sales – defining your objectives will aid in determining where you should focus your efforts. Remember that all goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound).

5. **How will you measure success?**

Choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) is critical, as they quantifiably measure the success of your campaign. Some examples include the number of visits to your site, conversion rates, or the number of leads generated. These digital marketing metrics will help you ascertain how well you’re meeting your goals.

6. **What digital marketing tactics will you use?**

Tactics are the concrete actions you will take to achieve your goals. You may choose to utilize search engine optimization (SEO) to increase organic traffic, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns to drive instant traffic, social media marketing to enhance brand awareness or develop compelling content to engage your audience. Each tactic should be chosen based on its potential impact on your goals.

7. **What resources do you have available?**

It’s essential to assess what resources you have (including budget and manpower) and how you can best allocate them across your chosen strategies. Depending on your resources, you may have to prioritize certain tactics over others.

8. **What is your implementation timeline?**

Setting a timeline helps to prioritize tasks and ensure your campaign moves forward. When defined alongside goals, a timeline becomes an excellent tool for measuring progress. Ensure to include buffers for unexpected delays, and review your plan consistently to make sure it’s up-to-date.

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to bring it all together and form your digital marketing strategy. This document is not static; it will evolve with your business, the latest trends, and your customers’ needs. Remember to regularly review and update it.

One way of creating your online strategy is by using a marketing funnel model. This model gives a visual representation of the customer’s journey towards conversion and can help refine tactics. The funnel typically consists of four stages: awareness, interest, desire, and action. Each stage requires different marketing tactics to nurture the potential customer through the funnel.

At the ‘Awareness’ stage, customers first learn about your business and its offerings. Here, your goal should be to catch the attention of your target market and bring them to your website. Tactics may include SEO, PPC, social media campaigns, and content marketing, amongst others.

Next is the ‘Interest’ stage, where consumers begin to show an interest in your products or services. Tactics like email marketing, webinars, and podcasts are useful here for building relationships.

The ‘Desire’ stage follows next, where consumers want what you’re offering and are considering making a purchase. Now it’s time to demonstrate why your products or services are the best fit. Provide social proof through case studies, testimonials, and reviews.

Finally, we have the ‘Action’ stage. This is when the consumer decides to move forward with the purchase. Conversion tactics here may involve email marketing with special offers or landing pages with persuasive calls to action.

By implementing this model, you will construct a comprehensive approach towards each stage in the customer’s journey, maximizing your chances of achieving your end goal. Incorporating the power of integrated digital tactics will lead to a seamless and happy path to conversion for your customers.

Building an effective digital marketing strategy involves consistent reflection and adjustment. Healthy use of analytical tools is key to track performances and make informed adjustments. Google Analytics is one such tool that can help you monitor your website’s performance. Other tools include Moz for SEO tracking, Hootsuite for social media monitoring, Google Adwords for tracking PPC campaigns, and MailChimp for monitoring your email marketing.

Deploying these strategies will, undoubtedly, boost your online presence and facilitate the growth of your business. However, the digital marketing space is perpetually evolving, necessitating businesses to remain adaptable. Keep up-to-date with new technologies, paradigm shifts, and market demands. Continual learning, testing, and adapting will be into the key to ongoing success in online marketing.

In conclusion, an effective online marketing strategy encompasses a comprehensive understanding of your current position, your target market, and your goals. It also involves choosing the right tactics, setting realistic timelines, and using appropriate metrics to measure progress. Remember, this is a dynamic process that demands regular review and adjustment. By asking yourself these key questions and aligning your online marketing with your business and customers’ needs, your path to digital marketing success becomes clearer and much more achievable.