In typical scenario, a handful of users will click on company XYZ's ad, and they may, in turn, take additional actions that determine ad's effectiveness. With closed loop marketing, however, marketers use Internet and database technology to extend relationship with their site's visitors.

In closed loop example, same handful of users clicks on company XYZ's ad. This time, however, they are directed to a web page where they are asked to provide some additional information in exchange for something of value (e.g., a white paper, contest entry, etc). When user completes form, their information is stored in a simple database.

At this point, a relatively simple VBScript will enable you to track your user's activity on your website at this point without use of cookies. With each page user visits during initial session, script writes to database you created. Now you can see, in a very user-friendly format, which resources your visitor accessed on your website.

You now have a database that includes your visitor's contact information, as well as visitor's interests as they were represented by pages they visited. You can now craft personalized email messages to visitors with their specific interests in mind.

Ideally in closed loop marketing, marketers gather more specific information from their prospects with each interaction. By carefully planning and developing a closed loop marketing program, you will extend average lifecycle of your prospects and experience substantially higher conversion rates.