I don't understand online advertising

[riverwed070707]

Im just biased when it comes to anyone who profits from this I suppose. The CEO of the company I worked for at the time was an arrogant cocky foul mouthed human being. Although he was very business savvy and is now wealthy.

I remember one meeting that a bunch of us had to sit through where he dropped the F bomb around 20 times in a span of 5 minutes. He was really young and I remember adult employees he was singling out and they just had to sit there and take it...or lose their job. Ill never forget that. I lasted 2 months before being fired.

All of that just left a bad taste in my mouth. So you're right...I probably should not tell people to click or not click on the ads.

I'm 100% with you on spam type ads or anything that wants you to enter a giveaway or win a prize but there is loads of legitimate online advertising, and businesses are seeing a better return on their money because of the ability to target specific audiences.

Interesting question. Almost a bit of an ethical dilemma there. But I am not willing to waste my time clicking on ads that I don't have the least bit of interest in just to support someone else's business. I love Saving Advice. I'm very glad that it exists and is free to use, but I'm not clicking on ads to help support it.

haha I agree with that but in the example rennigade gave the suggest was that if you saw something that interests you, go to google and look them up that way... all I'm saying is if it does interest you, why not let a site you like make a few pennies (because that's all ppc is!) for you to get to it from their site?

I feel like I'm advertising advertising Just meant to provide a different prospective!

[disneysteve]

in the example rennigade gave the suggest was that if you saw something that interests you, go to google and look them up that way

That's exactly what I do. If I really want info about something, I go directly to their website. I would never click on the ad to get there. I'm not falling for that crap.

[disneysteve]

I am no marketing guru but someone else hit it here. . .it works by targeting.

Instead of taking an ad out in the newspaper, radio or TV which is a shotgun approach (which works sometimes). . .my computer is creepily tracking everything I write.

Maybe it isn't a shotgun approach but it is still pretty haphazard. It assumes that just because you are reading a thread here at SA about life insurance that you are looking to buy life insurance.

I just loaded this site via Safari which does not have an ad blocker installed. I flipped through a few screens and got ads for the following:

Acme Supermarket - I shop there occasionally because it is the closest store to my house but only when I need something at the last minute because they are way more expensive than Wegman's. An online ad won't change my mind.

Verizon FIOS - We have Comcast cable with absolutely no interest or intent in changing that.

Red Roof Inn - We stayed there once about a year ago and I still get ads for them.

Wells Fargo Advisors - That makes sense. This is a financial site after all. I would never use them but at least I am their target market.

Sprint - We have had AT&T since 1991. Again, a pop up ad isn't changing that.

Do these ads work? They must or else they wouldn't keep doing it. It certainly doesn't work on me or my family. As riverwed said earlier, we are not the norm when it comes to this stuff. It just baffles me why anybody falls for this stuff.

[pen]

I'm a long time lurker, figured I would respond here. What gets to the average person is not any one ad by itself, it is the continual repetition of seeing something just to the side of what you are focusing on. People don't think they pay attention. I have noticed plenty of people who "ignore" the ad for say, McDonalds... and then suggest MD's for a late lunch. Most people on this bord have gotten to the point where impulse purchases are very few. The average consumer really does pick up on the advertising and respond.

[JoeP]

The fact that even a minority of people actually react to online advertising is a bit discouraging to me. It used to be that businesses took the time to tell you about their product, and why you should buy it. Now, people are engaged by bright flashy things and repetition and bright flashy things. It's as if to say, "People don't have the mental patience to think, so we'll try eye candy."

Online advertising actually has a negative effect on me. I stay away from it at all costs, and if something somehow gets through, I get mad at it to the point where I will not spend any money on that vendor, simply out of spite.

I prefer to do my own research on products and services.

[JoeP]

Do these ads work? They must or else they wouldn't keep doing it.

Even if they work a little, they work. If you are a business owner, and your competition is getting some of your potential business because they advertise online and you don't, then you should do the same to even the scales.