Using internet marketing is an efficient way of promoting a company’s services and products but there are challenges, both pro and con, that can be detrimental in how effective it is. The global internet marketing industry is expanding at a fast pace and is now worth billions of dollars so this shows that it must be effective. As a result of putting their businesses online and using the internet for marketing their company, have seen an increase in their sales.

Pros of internet marketing

• When a company uses internet marketing it gives them a wide access to find new potential customers globally that they would not know about without using the internet. You just put your advertisement on the internet and potential customers worldwide can see it.
• It is cheaper to promote your business on the internet than other methods of marketing so it makes it easier for mid-sized and small businesses to advertise their services and products.
• Using the internet will allow you the ability to stay connected with your customers so if your company is having a special or offering a discount the information can quickly and easily reach your customers so they can immediately take advantage of what you are offering.
• You can get an instant feedback from your customers
• It saves time and effort because instead of having a service representative answer your customer’s questions the company can have a fact sheet with all the information about the service or product put on their website so the customer can look at it to find the answer to their question..
• Your website offers 24/7 service ability to buy your product or service.

Cons of internet marketing

• Even though the internet gives a company a wider reach the website start-up costs can be high. You will need to have the right hardware, software, maintenance costs, and cost for building the website. It can take time to see profits from internet marketing.
• Many customers will use the internet to get more information about a product but then prefer to buy it in person. For example, if your website sells phone, a potential customer may visit your website to look at the different phones and the technical specification but then they will go to a store and purchase the phone they have decided on. The website allowed them to do comparisons instead of doing it in the store.
• You have to always make sure that your marketing strategy does not look out-of-date due to the rapidly changing rules of trade
• Vulnerability to fraudulent activities
• Lacks the human touch you get in a store
• It relies heavily on technology, which makes your website vulnerable to technical faults.