Problems With Online Marketing And How To Combat Them

Got a business? Interested in online marketing? Find out what the problems are with online marketing and how you can avoid them.

1. Lack of control

With offline marketing the control is very much with the business, with online marketing the control is predominantly with the consumer. Positive publicity can go viral but so can negative!

Combat it: Be honest when you’ve done something wrong. Be ethical. Above all be available, keep an open communication with your online audience.

2. Cost

It’s easy to spend a lot on online marketing before you see any return on your investment. Many strategies can take time, and time is money.

Combat it: Pick your online strategies carefully and incorporate free and lower cost methods. Set a budget and work within that.

3. Security

Many consumers still worry about security when purchasing online.

Combat it: Use secure payment methods. Have a terms and conditions section on your website. Consider a money back guarantee if it’s appropriate to your product or service

4. It’s time consuming

Online marketing is a long term strategy. Many online marketing methods, especially the low cost sustainable methods take time.

Combat it: Automate using online tools like Networked Blogs and Tweetdeck. Focus on one or two social media sites to get maximum results. Get a budget and go for the quick wins like PPC ads.

5. Difficult to guage ROI

It can be difficult to guage the return on investment with some methods of online marketing, for example blogging and social media.

Combat it: Ask buyers how they found your business. Use google analytics and Facebook conversion pixels to track sales from referring sites.