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Considering over 1 Billion people, worldwide, surf the internet every single day, it’s no wonder business men and women all over the globe choose online advertising as a means to showcase products or services. There are a slew of good reasons why Internet advertising is a wise decision for savvy business owners hoping to sell as much of their wares as they can; and many entrepreneurs who have found immense success via the Internet, would not have been able to realize their dreams any other way. With that being said, however, there are some challenges that are inherent with online advertising but these difficulties should, in no way, discourage anyone from pursuing the Internet as a viable means to establish or enhance one’s business pursuits.
Ads Can Be Ignored:
As Americans, we consume like there’s no tomorrow, and in order for us to know what is out there to consume, mass amounts of advertising allow us to know the latest trends in everything from sports cars to replacement windows to glow-in-the-dark diapers for toddlers. Since advertising is everywhere and inescapable, we have become so bombarded with businesses wanting our money for their products that many consumers completely shut advertising out of their minds and ignore the messages, regardless of whether the ad is via radio, television, billboards or neon lights—Internet advertising is no exception. Customers will refuse to click banner advertisements, they will bypass ads in videos and they will close pop-up messages as soon as they appear.
Unlike TV or radio advertising which will play in its entirety (although, one can turn the channel) online advertising is at the mercy of the viewer who can block it or bypass it–viewers are in complete control of which advertising messages they choose to pay attention to; and just because one’s online advertising is creative and catchy, doesn’t necessarily mean many viewers are going to pay attention to it.
Technical Issues Can’t Be Avoided:
We are all too familiar with video loading difficulties, slow connections and browser complications; and these issues, unfortunately, will reduce the number of times consumers will be able to see online advertisements. Companies lose countless opportunities to showcase and sell their products and services when glitches arise; and it would be interesting to actually know how much potential business is lost each day due to unavoidable technical issues.
Big Investment
Online advertising isn’t cheap; but then, what type of advertising isn’t? Inexpensive ads that run about $20 a month for placements on various blogs would be one end of the cost spectrum while paying thousands of dollars per month for a placement with the likes of The New York Times would be the other end of the spectrum. On no uncertain terms will online pay-per-click campaigns like those featured by National Ad Force Digital, or social media sites require a considerable investment.
According to a March 2010 Marketing Profs survey, nearly 3,500 business professionals were asked what their biggest challenges were with internet marketing; and not having a large enough budget for advertising was a major obstacle.
Distractions Abound:
Have you ever opened a restaurant menu that was so jam-packed with choices and photos and text you could, hardly, zero in on any one item? Too many choices can be overwhelming. The Internet, good or bad, is like that overloaded menu. The inundation of distractions online can very easily sidetrack customers from advertisements which are next to other advertisements which are next to other advertisements etc; all, of which, can get lost in the shuffle.
“Flat” Can Leave One Feeling Flat:
Attempting to advertise on the Internet can never do the product justice since the physical 3-D imagery can’t be produced. Research indicates that the physical display of an item plays a big role in whether or not a person chooses to make a purchase, many times impulsively; and flat imagery can be a drawback. From a sensory perspective, many customers wanting to buy perfume or clothing or a throw rug, for example, will choose not to buy since not being able to feel, smell or try on something ahead of time, especially something with a fairly high price-tag, will leave internet customers feeling hesitant. A digital sample, no matter how well advertised or photographed, just cannot compete with 3-D items one can pick up, touch, smell or try on.
With all this being said, however, the challenges of Internet advertising are not insurmountable and those, who businesses continue to thrive thanks to effective online advertising campaigns, would certainly be the first to downplay any and all challenges that one might encounter concerning using the Internet for promoting products and services.
But for those customers who remain wary of Internet advertising due to spyware and computer worms that can hitch an unwelcomed ride, internet advertising and purchasing will be ignored like the plague; and perhaps that’s a good thing such brick and mortar stores need to stay in business, too!
As the associate supervisor for a website marketing organization, D.H. labors as a guest poster as a way to benefit companies owned and operated in the USA. He lives in The Golden State, and is relishing these times along with his beautiful bride plus their 3 munchkins. D. man calls individuals to preview his Google Plus place whenever they get a chance.
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