Internet Marketing - Advantages and Disadvantages

Everyone seems to be jumping on the internet marketing bandwagon lately. In the race to get their business online, many successful businesses forget to ask themselves some tough questions about what they are doing, what their expectations are and what their plan is to meet those expectations.

The internet can be a powerful tool that can put you on solid footing with bigger companies. On the other hand, the other companies may have more money to pay for advertising. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you analyze your internet marketing strategy.

Advantage of Internet Marketing

- your store is open, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Further, your customers are worldwide in reach, and can shop anytime that they want to

- the cost of spreading your message is next to nothing. Emailing your subscription base is more oftne cheaper than sending a letter through the mail

- updating your subscribers can be done almost instantly through email. Visitors to your website can get up to the minute information on each visit. If you are having a sale, your customers can start shopping at the discounted prices literally as soon as they open their email

- if you have an information sensitive business, such as a law firm, newspaper or online magazine, you can deliver your products directly to your customers without having to use a courier

Disadvantages of Internet Marketing

- online marketing is not free. The cost of software, hardware, wed site design, maintenance of your site, online distribution costs and of course, time, all must be factored into the cost of providing your service or product.

- slightly over 50% of households shop online. While that number will continue to grow, you are reaching less than two out of three households.

- the internet is still regarded as a source of information gathering for the majority of your customers. Of the number of visitors to your site, the vast majority of visitors who are motivated to buy will do so in person. Many people prefer the live interaction when they buy. If you have a small business with one location, this may deter customers from buying.

- easier to have outdated information on your site, thus timing of updates is critical

- there is no replacement for good old fashioned customer service. The majority of internet marketers lack customer service and inquiry response programs. As a result, many online visitors to your site will already have painted your site as poor service before they have even contacted you. The majority of websites also have poor navigation, which makes it difficult for your visitor to find what they are looking for. Many sites were created with a marketing view, not a customer service point of view.

- is your site secure? Does your customer know this? There are many incorrect stereotypes about the security of the internet out there. As a result, many of your visitors will not want to use their credit card to make a purchase. The fear of having their credit card info stolen is a clear and present danger in the minds of your visitors

- there is a lot of competition for your product already out there. By the time your visitor finds you, they have already been clicking many links. Unless they can find what they are looking for quickly, they are gone.

- many web visitors expect something for free. What do you have to offer them?

There are many other pros and cons of internet marketing. Its important for you to consider each when creating your internet marketing strategy. Each of the disadvantages can be overcome, but only if you view the customer experience from the eyes of your customer, not as an internet marketer.

Northern Source offers web design services for small businesses. You'll find more helpful hints at http://www.northernsource.com

Christopher Smith has been creating web sites for small businesses for over 7 years. In addition to providing deisgn and consultation services, Christopher also provides tips on search engine optimization, internet marketing and traffic generation.

---

Benefit By Helping Others Plus How To Create Urgency So People Buy Now

Many people don't have the time or skills to write... Read More

How To Be A Web Entrepreneur With No Capital

With the advent of the technology age, the Internet has... Read More

Five Ways To Maximize Profit In Resale Rights Marketing

Product creation is usually one of the first concerns of... Read More

Ecards as a marketing tool

As any successful businessman will confirm, having a great product... Read More

Become an Affiliate Later Rather Than Sooner

I attended a presentation a couple of weeks ago given... Read More

Do Your Words Need Protection?

Recently, attending a local event, I found myself chatting with... Read More

FREE Classifieds-Advertising: Your Online Work From Home Business

If you are on a shoestring budget and need to... Read More

10 Unique, Free Product Bonuses

Are you looking for something unique or unusual that you... Read More

Online Marketing: Math or Myth?

The numbers are supposed to be big in online marketing,... Read More

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True

You've heard that cliché over and over I'm sure, but... Read More

To Make the Most Dollars, Make The Most Sense

The world of Internet marketing isn't all it's cracked up... Read More

Identify your Target Market by Tracking and Exploiting Profitable Search Engine Keyword Phrases

There's a very lucrative "marketing formula" to targeting prospects on... Read More

Five Common Misconceptions to Achieving Success with Your Online Business

How successful is your online business? Are you achieving the... Read More

7 Ways to Become an Obvious Expert in Your Field

Obvious Experts enjoy a compelling advantage over their competition; they're... Read More

An Approach to Advertising on the Internet

Budweiser has the frogs. McDonalds has Ronald. Goodyear has the... Read More

Making Your Money Work For You ? And Not The Other Way Around!

Most people spend their entire lives working hard for someone... Read More

5 Fast Ways to Improve Your Website

Building a website is easy. Building a successful e-business is... Read More

Growing Your Business On-line: A Fresh Perspective

Rather than thinking about the web as technology, let's consider... Read More

How to Explode Your Database Marketing And Back-End Sales To Increase Your Bottom Line Profits

Set up multiple simultaneous marketing campaigns with database marketing automation... Read More

Boost Your Sales Copy With One Simple Tweak

Do you want an amazingly simple trick to move far... Read More

Niche Marketing: Finding JV Partners

Joint Ventures (JVs) are one of the most powerfull techniques... Read More

Find Your Niche - the Internet Marketers Goldmine

If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around... Read More

How to Build an Asset Out of Giving Stuff Away for Free

We all do it I guess: give something away for... Read More

Local Search Makes Your Business a Big Fish in Your Local Community

The Internet Contains Billions of Website Pages - All Clamoring... Read More

Starting an Internet Business is not for Everyone

Creating and building your home internet business does not need... Read More

Do This - and Destroy Your Resale Rights Business!

There's one thing that's sure-fire guaranteed to ruin your profits... Read More

Flat Tires, Slow Leaks, and Online Marketing

Does your online marketing campaign have a flat tire? Or... Read More

How To Profit Using Public Domain Works

The public domain is full of books, journals, literary works,... Read More

Online Sales: 10 Heavy Duty Tactics To Sky-Rocket Your Online Sales

Here are the 10 heavy duty online sales tactics that... Read More

Is that Niche Really Going to Make You Money?

Find a niche; pick a niche, niche markets will make... Read More

Dont Become Another .com Road Kill

Remember those Super Bowl and World Cup commercials where you... Read More

How to Make Money Online...Driving your Car.

Here's an alluring income generating strategy, that's widely adopted by... Read More

5 Ways To Treat Your Website Like An Employee And Reap The Rewards

People often come to me in a state of crisis... Read More