Advantages and disadvantages of online marketing

We inform potential customers about information on products, services, their features and benefits, as well as prices. At the same time, we build the brand and company's reputation, change the customer's perception of the product's features, convince them to make a purchase, and maintain the customer's awareness of the existence of the product or service or remind them where the product is available.

Advantages

There are many advantages to online marketing communication. The most important ones include interactivity, spatial and temporal flexibility, targeted advertising, immediacy, lower costs for more information, and quick adaptation of communication. Other key advantages include:

• Interactivity – interactivity is undoubtedly the most important advantage that traditional marketing does not provide. In a two-way channel, the customer has an active role and is not just a passive observer or recipient; at the same time, they also determine the intensity and depth of the relationship with the communicator.

• Spatial and Temporal Flexibility – the internet has no boundaries and time constraints. Users can receive information anywhere and anytime, with the only requirement being access to the internet. Marketers can simultaneously send an unlimited number of messages and information, which spread incomparably faster than in traditional forms of marketing.

• Targeted Advertising and Personalization of Online Content – instead of communicating with a (too) broad target group, our messages are displayed only to specific users, increasing the effectiveness of marketing.

• Immediacy – any news, change, or offer can be communicated instantly to all potential subscribers without additional costs.

• Abundance of Information, Lower Costs – advertising space is unlimited, allowing detailed presentations of products and/or services; multimedia content can be added to attract attention, and communication costs are still significantly lower compared to the use of traditional marketing tools.

• Real-Time Monitoring and Adjustment of Communications – marketers can monitor the progress and effectiveness of campaigns in real-time and make changes to their form and/or content as needed.

Disadvantages

Despite all the advantages, online marketing communication also has certain disadvantages that a successful marketer must be aware of:

• Inconsistent Measurements – due to inconsistent methodologies in measuring results and the effectiveness of actions, discrepancies can arise, making it difficult to compare data.

• Poor Overview of Information – the internet offers almost unlimited information, which can be incorrect and outdated. Companies must ensure that their messages are always interesting and up-to-date, or they may lose customers.

• Saturation – online users are tired of ads and other messages. Attention should be paid to the choice of ad placement and the way of conveying messages to potential customers, finding a solution that will attract them.

• Costs – for simple websites and communication channels, costs are relatively low. However, more complex solutions that also require more maintenance can significantly increase costs.

• Speed – "heavy" graphics and applications that burden the user's computer and cause a slow flow of information can discourage them from viewing the site and/or message.

• Lack of Trust – people still do not trust online transactions and do not feel secure online, but things are slowly improving in this area.

• Message Filtering Programs – if a user has such a program installed, your ads may not be displayed to them.

Online advertising itself could be labeled as "traditional" since it has been part of every advertising campaign for several years. However, people increasingly avoid these ads and only follow them as passive users; marketers actively seek and saturate potential customers with them – both in print media and on radio and television.