Pros and Cons of Online Marketing

By Lanee’ Blunt

Online marketing has advantages
and disadvantages--Image by MonstarX.

Online marketing is used by large corporations and small businesses. It can increase sales and some companies only use internet marking exclusively. It is a form of marketing that uses different forms of advertising such as pay-per-click, search engine optimization campaigns, email marketing campaigns and banner advertising. Having an internet presence will give your company an advantage over one that has not taken their business online. There are advantages and disadvantages of internet marketing.

Pros
Cost is low compared to other traditional marketing. It also does not require a large upfront capital investment. There are some free very effective media sites that will allow your small business to reach a vast audience for example, Twitter and Facebook. If you send prospects an email message it is cheaper than sending thousands of direct mail pieces with savings in postage, paper and printing. The cost is cheaper than advertising with more traditional methods such as television, full page ads in the newspaper, and directories.

Internet marketing has the advantage of reaching people globally. You are no longer limited to a particular location. You have the benefit of reaching more people, gaining large amounts of traffic to your website, and converting leads into sales. On your website you have the ability of asking them to fill out a few questions when signing up for your email. This allows you to find out exactly who your prospects are, their age and what their interest are all this information helps you to mold your services to suit your customer.

Cons

When people fill out the information some of them may not tell the truth. They may give you a wrong email address or telephone number. The information on your database may not be updated as fast as you update offline information. When you are sending direct mail you can use the post office to help you keep your list up to date. This helps you keep your mailing list current. However, it is easier to have outdated information on the internet.

Competition is tough because of the advantages of internet marketing. The internet is saturated with people marketing products and services across the globe. Your company is in competition with a global and local market. In many cases by the time the prospect visits your website he may have gone through many links and related to your products.

Reference:

Impressico:Advantages & Disadvantages

Posted in: Online Marketing