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Online advertising is a form of advertising that is rapidly evolving, closely tied to the continuous growth of product and service sales through the internet. Due to its nature, it requires significant skills and intuition, as an ineffective advertisement can face unexpected criticism from internet users and can do more harm than good. The disadvantages and advantages of online advertising can be determined similarly to any other form of communication since there are no perfect advertisements.
Advantages and disadvantages of online advertising
Advantages of online advertising
No time restrictions – online advertising has no time limitations. Unlike traditional stores, an online store or website is not bound by specific opening hours. Customers have unrestricted access to a company’s offerings and can explore them at any time. Internet advertisements can be displayed 24/7, unlike television commercials, for example, which have specific air times. Time zones in different countries are also irrelevant. Additionally, we can publish advertising posts, create expert blogs, or share videos on platforms like YouTube at any time. While we can tailor content or graphics to variable weather conditions or time of day, it is not a requirement.
Unlimited reach – through online advertising, we can reach every corner of the world. Online advertising has an unlimited reach made possible by remarkable technological advancements. It presents a tremendous opportunity for any company planning to expand its sales to international markets. The internet bridges the distance, and the global nature of advertising doesn’t limit us in any way. Contacting potential customers through the internet is simple and cost-effective, surpassing other forms of advertising. Television, radio, or print advertisements in foreign markets are much more expensive, and their implementation is significantly more complicated.
Online advertising has an interactive nature, allowing us to quickly learn about the effects of the advertisement and how it is received, thanks to the live interaction with customers. Good communication with customers enables trust-building, creates a positive company image, and helps understand the needs and aspirations of the target audience, which, in turn, positively impacts advertising campaigns. Dialogue with customers can be established through comments on the company blog, fan pages, newsletter subscriptions, or organizing industry webcasts. All these methods contribute to building a positive relationship with customers, benefiting both parties.
Online advertising reaches a specific group of recipients. The internet provides a wide range of possibilities for reaching a highly targeted audience. Due to the relatively low cost of online advertising compared to traditional advertising, long-term actions and the planning of elaborate advertising campaign strategies can be afforded. For example, we can utilize Google Ads to target a specific audience defined at the beginning of the advertising campaign. Additionally, remarketing, associated with Google AdWords, is a significant element of online advertising as it reaches individuals who have already visited the website and are potential customers interested in the service or product, making them part of our target audience. Technically, remarketing allows for displaying advertising banners (while browsing other websites) to an internet user who has cookies saved in their browser from visiting our website. Tailoring advertising messages to indecisive customers often motivates them to return to the store. Remarketing also involves advertising products related to a previously purchased item.
Online advertising is highly dynamic because, compared to conventional advertising methods, it can be easily launched, modified, or transformed if it proves to be ineffective. Due to the ease of analyzing and measuring the effectiveness of advertising activities, they can be adjusted in real-time based on monitored results.
Online advertising is cost-effective compared to the costs associated with advertising in alternative media channels (check, for example, the advantages and disadvantages of television advertising). This is a significant advantage because it allows for planning a wide-reaching advertisement that targets a specific audience while keeping costs low. Experience suggests that the less targeted an advertisement is, the worse the ratio of expenses to profits.
Disadvantages of online advertising
Excessive amount of online ads -the abundance of online advertisements often leads to users blocking them, and the highest percentage of blocked ads is found in Poland. This primarily concerns banner campaigns, which are often perceived by internet users as overly intrusive. According to various estimates, around 30-40% of internet users in Poland utilize ad-blocking software. Theoretically, this is a significant number, but in practice, there are still numerous recipients of such content, as the active users of portals within the Google advertising network (such as Onet, wizaz.pl, or olx) encompass almost the entire population of Poland with any purchasing potential.
Superficiality of online advertising – online ads often rely on quick superficial messages that users may easily overlook. In the midst of an advertising overload, internet users can easily bypass the intended message.
Intense competition in online advertising – the high competition in online advertising requires continuous analysis and modifications for the advertisement to be effective. It demands substantial knowledge and skills.
Some advertising efforts yield expected results only after several months – for example, website positioning (SEO) can be effective but may take a longer time to produce noticeable effects.
However, it should be acknowledged that most of these issues do not apply to an incredibly important and effective method of online advertising – namely, Google Ads.
