Online advertising has many benefits and disadvantages for a business looking to create brand awareness and solidify its online presence. But where does it all start? While finding a great website builder in Melbourne is the first step to follow when crafting your brand, it is not the only a part of the route to success. This is because although a website is the first impression a client gets about your brand, social media also plays an important role in crafting it. Platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram have become vital for a company to gain traffic to their websites and deliver their message to the right audience. By being able to rely on these platforms for online advertising to attract an audience despite geographical limitations is a prospect that is exciting for many businesses. There are various other examples of online advertising that is directed at internet users such as social media adverts, pop-ups, banner adverts, search engine results pages as well as online classified adverts and email spam. What are the benefits?

Cost effective advertising

What does it cost to run and monitor your social media accounts that have the potential to reach a far wider audience than a billboard or radio jingle? The fact of the matter is online advertising will only make a tiny dent into your marketing budget overall. This makes it an asset because you can enjoy the benefits of traditional marketing without facing its limitations which include airplay and time restriction. When it comes to a billboard, you cannot guarantee that your key market even uses that stretch of the road. However, when it comes to social media, there are plenty of ways to target an audience because whether it be via desktop or mobile devices, users tend to be online on a variety of platforms. Using all social media platforms is bound to reach key customers who might be interested in your products and services.

Customer feedback

Most websites out there will have an opinion poll or two on their landing page to create some interaction between the business and the consumer, and this is just the start. By interacting with the users, you can better gauge their opinions about the website itself and if it works well, the products and services that you render. This will help you cater to the needs of the consumer more effectively and in a speedy manner. This will give the perception that your business does indeed care about their customers which engender loyalty. You can also use surveys and comments to further improve your campaigns and their market reach.

Specific market targeting

Marketing your business and its services online is an efficient way to reach a larger market especially if the advert is strategically placed. This means placing your ad on a website or social network platform that is relevant to what services your business offers.  It guarantees that the advert will be exposed to users that might be interested and find what the business offers is relevant to their needs. For example, if you run a digital marketing agency and you are looking for clients, placing an advert in a marketing agency directory or similar website will guarantee that it reaches those who are interested in your services or are curious.

A short list of the disadvantages online advertising.

Users install ad-blockers

While the internet has given businesses the means to survive and market their wares to a wider audience, online advertising is not always guaranteed to work. Many online users have ad-blockers installed in their browsers or software installed in the devices they use to access the internet, to block adverts from displaying on the webpage. They block pop-up ads, banner ads and videos from playing. This prevents many of your intended target audience from seeing your offers and learning about your business. Although some ad-blockers are lenient on non-intrusive adverts that don’t block the whole webpage, it is still up to the discretion of the software on whether the website it will be blocked.  Not all online users will click on your pop-up ad and banner ads as well as ignore watching your videos by skipping them. YouTube is a notable example where video adverts frequently appear before one plays a video but we all know that most users wait until the five seconds are up before skipping the advert.

Who has access to the internet

Although internet access in South Africa is growing at a rapid pace, that does not mean that everyone in the country can access it. This is especially true for those who live in rural areas where cell phone towers struggle to distribute the signal. According to a digital report released in January 2018, only 54% of South Africans have access to the internet and 51% of the total population access the internet using their mobile devices. This number means almost half of the population will not be able to view any of your video and banner adverts as they do not have internet access.  So always consider who your services are more geared towards and decide whether your business will benefit from investing in online advertisement.

Competition

There is a vast amount of potential in the online advertising market but just like you have thought about its benefits, your peers and competitors have thought about it too. Plenty of businesses have thrown their weight behind online advertising and running social media and online campaigns, which means that there is more competition out there for your business. It also makes things difficult for users to narrow down their choices with so many options to choose from. This also means a variety of choice for online users to make and if your product is not compelling enough, it might be left on the shelf.

Visit Livelong Digital and we can assist you to get the best out of your website and social media platforms to engage with your audience and build a solid online reputation.

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