Online advertising has become one of the prominent ways to advertise in modern society. As more and more companies are looking to sell their ads on various websites with the hope of attracting more customers. This is currently favoring the advertisers as this method is creating a presence in the industry. As of today, the industry is a billion-dollar industry and various methods such as pay per click and banner advertising mediums have become a part of online portals. As the current generation prefers internet shopping or for knowledge gain than retail stores, this industry has maximized its potential. The current poor form of retail shopping is proof of the boom in the online industry.
The Potential Hazard:
• Online advertising can cause customers what one may call a”d blinding”. This is a concept where the number of ads is so heavy on the internet that customers can be blinded by them and the decision making of the customers can be affected.
• Privacy is a big issue as more and more companies gather the data of users and their search history, customers can have a sense of insecurities which can cause them to ignore or go for adblocking.
• Safety is also an issue where some ads can be misleading and this could have grave consequences.
• One other major issue the number of advertisements that have increased over the years and made the zone a cluttered one. This could hurt customers as the authenticity of ads can be lost in the mix because of a few bad ones.
Is it bad or good for customers?
Rating 2/5
Online advertising according to me is good if done the right way. As customers around the world are constantly using the internet services and online sales booming is a major sign that online advertising is being appreciated. As in this modern era, we are all looking for convenience, online advertising epitomizes convenience by bringing all that is new in the market to your desktop. Even though companies like google chrome have introduced ad blocking, customers are still not completely in favor of it. The main focus of online advertising is reminding the customers of what they searched or give them hooks to reach to a place where they can buy their desired products.
There have been instances in the past of brands misusing online advertising concerning invading privacy policy and using data for other purposes than programming it to find what the customers need however on larger scale protection provided by browsers nowadays have restricted that to large extent and continuing to do so. The method used is by ad blocking which gives the power for the customers to block ads on certain platforms. Therefore, big-picture online advertising is still a reputed form of advertising in the current scenario (Larson&Draper, 2018).
Code Of Ethics:
• Deliver the product: One thing that frustrates customers more than anything is advertisement not living up to the promises. If any advertiser is advertising a product on a website the customers on their clicking should be able to go to the destination where they can buy it.
• Don’t Invade privacy: Online advertisers have to keep in mind that the collection of data on users’ search history should not be leaked or used for any illegal purposes.
• Landing page design: When a customer clicks an ad they do desire to get into a landing page which shows what they were looking for. This page should not cheat customers by showing extra ads or products which are not displayed on the online ads.
• Appropriate ads: Online advertisers have to keep in mind that when they design an ad they should be sensitive and see to it that the message is clear. Furthermore, ads cannot be insensitive to customers or any segment of the people in the society.
• Similar ads: The websites should try and place ads that are similar concerning products. An example would be a gym ad that can be shared along with ads that promote weight loss methods or health products. This will encourage people to click on ads.
Therefore, online advertising I believe is here to stay. The concerns raised over the past few years of security can be improved by better laws. Furthermore, customers can choose ad blockers and thereby laying out good platforms to showcase their products. This is also a boom for upcoming new brands that may not have an influence in the market as some traditional brands. This is a great method to empower entrepreneurship and boost for upcoming companies and traditional companies to improve on their sales.
Sources:
Larson, & Draper. (2018). Digital Marketing Essentials. Student.
The Global State of Digital in October 2019 – We Are Social. (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://wearesocial.com/blog/2019/10/the-global-state-of-digital-in-october-2019
THE NEW WAVE OF DIGITAL AD FORMATS. (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://www.impactonnet.com/cover-story/the-new-wave-of-digital-ad-formats-6319.html
