The Internet facility has developed around for some 30 years. It actually began in the early 1960 in USA, where the US Department of Defense saw it as a means of supercomputer communication for
researchers and military facilities across the country. Until it commercial explosed in 1990s, the Internet remained a relatively obscure network of linked computers - mostly by academics, military researchers, and scientists around the world to send and receive electronic mail, transfer files, and find or retrieve information from databases – At present, Internet the fastest growing medium in history, offers incredible opportunities for a wide range of people in both business and advertising. For advertisers, there is a whole new world of potential customers.
Type of Internet Advertising
Ads on the Internet can take a variety by forms. Most advertising on Internet can be classified as websites, banners, buttons, sponsorships, interstitials, Meta ads, classified ads, and email ads.
1. Websites
Some companies consider their whole website as an ad. However, a website is more than an ad - it.s an alternative location where customers, prospects, shareholders, investors, and others can come to find out more about the company, its products and services. Some companies use their website like an extended brochure to promote their goods and services. Others treat their website as an online catalog store, conducting business right on the Net. Still other website act in information and entertainment provides. Website typically consist of a home page and an indefinite number of subsequent pages that users can visit for further information.
2. Banners
The ad banner is the basic form of web advertising. A banner is a little billboard that spreads across the top or bottom of the Web page. At present one comes across larger banner ads that can dominate the screen or even provide television commercials. When users click their mouse pointer on the banner, it sends them to the advertiser.s site or a buffer page.
3. Buttons
These are similar to banners. They are small version of the banner those often look like an icon usually provides a link to an advertiser.s home page. Since they take less space than banner, they are less expensive.
4. Sponsorships
A form of advertising on the Internet that is getting popular is the sponsorship of Web pages. Corporations sponsor entire sections of a publisher.s Web page or sponsor single events for a limited period of time, usually calculated in months. In exchange for sponsorship support, companies are given extensive recognition on the site. Sometimes an added-value package is created by integrating the sponsor.s brand with the publisher‟s content. For instance, a Web page on Olympics or some other spots can be sponsored by a business firm.
5. Interstitials
This is a dynamic form of Net advertising. It is a catch all term for a variety of animated ads that pop up on the screen while the computer downloads a website that the user has clicked on. There are now many types of interstitials including pop-up windows, splash screens, superstitials, etc.
6. Meta Ads
Used in search engines (such as Yahoo, Google, etc.), a met ad is an advertisement displayed on the results page of a search, specific to the searched item. Meta ads are also referred to as keyword advertising. This method enables an advertiser to target a specific audience. Advertisers can pay search engines to display their banners only when relevant keywords are searched for by a user. For example, if a user searched for the term “handicrafts and handlooms”, the Meta ads displayed might be for handicrafts and handlooms items.
7. Classified Ads
Another growing area for Internet advertisers in the classified ad websites. Some of these websites offer free classified advertising opportunities because ad banners of other advertisers support them. They are similar to newspaper classified ads. You can search for homes, cars, jobs, toys, shoes etc.
8. E-Mail Advertising
Advertisers can send e-mail advertising to customers who have asked for it. It is similar to direct mail advertising, and therefore, it is the most effective form of internet advertising. However, there is too much of span via the e-mail. Span refers to unsolicited, mass e-mail advertising for product or service that is sent by an unknown entity to e-mail addresses.
Advantage of Internet Advertising
Advantage of Internet Advertising
1. Interactive Medium : It allows consumers to directly interact with an advertiser, thereby establishing future relationships.
2. Enormous Audience : With an audience of about 500 million people world wide (some estimates put the figure at 1 billion people), the internet is the only true global medium, providing information and commercial opportunities that are immediately accessible around the world.
3. Immediate Response : Products and information are available on demand made by the consumer, thereby, providing instant feed back for the advertiser.
4. Selective Targeting : Advertisers can reach the right target audience, especially through the Meta ads.
5. Provides In-depth Information : Internet provides in-depth information about a company and/or products. Commercial websites provide detailed information about products or services to the Internet users seeking information.
6. Reaches Business-to-Business Users : The Internet medium can reach to B2B users when they are still at work, not only business related information, but also consumer products advertising while they are working.
Disadvantages of Internet Advertising
1. Lack Mass-Media Efficiency : Internet is not a mass medium as the case of radio and television. Therefore, it may never offer mass media efficiency. Most marketers in developing countries like India, may find it as too complex, too cluttered or not worth the time and efforts.
2. Slow Downloads : The downloading of websites is very slow in many parts of the world. The ads that pop up in between only irritate the Internet users.
3. Problem of Span : There is too much of Spam via the e-mail. Therefore, e-mail users do not consider going through even the responsible ads.
4. Problem of Online Purchases : In India, most consumers would like to physically inspect the goods before purchases. Therefore, they may not place orders online. Again, most people do not believe the internet as a sage place for financial transaction.
5. Untested Medium : There is hardly any research to test the effectiveness of Internet advertising. Therefore, a good number of markets in some countries do not give much importance to Internet advertising.
