Increased broadband access has resulted in more people deciding to buy online rather than visit a retail store. Research also suggests that, whilst consumers may drop in at a store to look at products and try them out, they'll decide what to buy and then go home and order it from the Internet.
This consumer trend presents a key opportunity for online advertisers. Advertising on the Internet has, up to now, been largely ignored by many marketers, and creative advertising teams have yet to feel comfortable designing a campaign for the medium. The rise in the number of people using the Internet on a daily basis, however, combined with the amount of time and money they spend whilst online, can't be and isn't being ignored. In fact, figures show that in the US, 84% of marketers are planning to increase their online spend.
Other than the overall size of the market, there are some key factors which make advertising online an attractive prospect:
Measurement
Unlike nearly every other form of advertising, the response to online adverts can be measured accurately. By adding a call to action from the advert, such as a click-through to the website, or a dedicated phone number, marketers know who's reading the advert and what they're interested in. By using web tracking software, they can also tell how the user arrived at the page with their ad on; whether it be through a search engine, from links to another site or by going to the site directly. This measurement allows marketers to be much more precise about the revenue benefits of the advert.
Response
A traditional print ad goes to the paper or magazine a couple of weeks before publication and may have a shelf life from a single day to two months or more. This makes it difficult to predict who's reading the ad, when they read it and whether, if at all, they respond. On the other hand, response to online advertising is immediate. If the advert attracts the user, they click through straight away; you know they've read the ad, understood the message and are interested in the product. Seeing the response rates and comparing them to the number of people that actually make a purchase, is an important piece of information that can be used to justify future campaigns.
Targeting
Print advertising is notoriously difficult to target. Both print and TV spots can predict the type of audience that will be reading or watching, but it's a very general picture, and doesn't allow for specified targeting. Online markets, on the other hand, are much easier to target - there are websites that are themselves targeted to niche markets and this makes it much easier to buy advertising space that you know will reach your key market.
If you are looking to increase your online presence then get in touch with the Web Marketing Group by phoning 01423 529300.