Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet

A number of advantages of the Internet can be cited:

1. Target marketing. A major advantage of the Web is the ability to target very specific groups of individuals with a minimum of waste coverage. For those in the business-to-business market, the Internet resembles a combination trade magazine and trade show, as only those most interested in the products and/or services a site has to offer will visit the site (others have little or no reason to do so). In the consumer market, through personalization and other targeting techniques, sites are becoming more tailored to meet one's needs and wants. 2. Message tailoring. As a result of precise targeting, messages can be designed to appeal to the specific needs and wants of the target audience. The interactive capabili-

ties of the Net make it possible to carry on one-to-one marketing with increased success in both the business and the consumer markets.

3. Interactive capabilities. Because the Internet is interactive, it provides strong potential for increasing customer involvement and satisfaction and almost immediate feedback for buyers and sellers. A recent study indicated that as many as 47 percent of Internet users multitask.24 As multitasking increases, the interactive capabilities of the Internet will make this medium even more attractive.

4. Information access. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Internet is its availability as an information source. Internet users can find a plethora of information about almost any topic of their choosing merely by conducting a search through one of the search engines. Once they have visited a particular site, users can garner a wealth of information regarding product specifications, costs, purchase information, and so on. Links will direct them to even more information if it is desired.

5. Sales potential. The numbers provided earlier in this chapter demonstrate the incredible sales numbers being generated in both the business-to-business and the consumer segments. Forecasts are for continued growth in the future.

6. Creativity. Creatively designed sites can enhance a company's image, lead to repeat visits, and positively position the company or organization in the consumer's mind. Visit some of the sites mentioned earlier to see what we mean.

7. Exposure. For many smaller companies, with limited budgets, the World Wide Web enables them to gain exposure to potential customers that heretofore would have been impossible. For a fraction of the investment that would be required using traditional media, companies can gain national and even international exposure in a timely manner.

8. Speed. For those requesting information on a company, its products, and/or its service offerings, the Internet is the quickest means of acquiring this information.

9. Complement to IMC. The Net both complements and is complemented by other IMC media. As such, it serves as a vital link in the integrative process.

While it is a potentially effective medium, the Internet also has its disadvantages:

1. Measurement problems. One of the greatest disadvantages of the Internet is the lack of reliability of the research numbers generated. A quick review of forecasts, audience profiles, and other statistics offered by research providers will demonstrate a great deal of variance—leading to a serious lack of validity and reliability. One company mentioned earlier, eMarketer, has attempted to reconcile such differences and explain the reasoning for the discrepancies (differences in methodologies employed), but the problem still exists. One of the industry's largest and most cited trade publications has written an exposé of a heavily cited Internet research company, referring to the numbers it provides as "scary."25 Others have stressed concerns over the fact that most site's figures are not audited, which may lead to rampant cheating in respect to the numbers reported.26 The recent actions taken by the IAB to standardize metrics will help in reducing some of this problem. But due to difficulties involved in both measuring and forecasting in this medium, it remains necessary to proceed with caution when using these numbers.

2. Websnarl. At times, downloading information from the Net takes a long time. When there are a number of users, the time increases and some sites may be inaccessible due to too many visitors. For many users who expect speed, this is a major disadvantage. Broadband is helping to reduce this problem.

3. Clutter. As the number of ads proliferates, the likelihood of one ad's being noticed drops accordingly. The result is that some ads may not get noticed, and some consumers may become irritated by the clutter. Some studies already show that banner ads may be losing effectiveness for this very reason.

4. Potential for deception. The Center for Media Education has referred to the Web as "a web of deceit" in regard to attempts of advertisers to target children with subtle advertising messages. The Center, among others, has asked the government to regulate the Internet. In addition, data collection without consumers' knowledge and

Continue reading here: Effective Marketing or Deception and Invasion of Privacy

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