Internet

DQ-2 I agree with the comment that the Internet experience for the consumer has changed significantly over the past few years, bringing with it an aversion to many types of marketing methods. Explain why this is so!

Consumers have become increasingly dependant upon the Internet in their personal and work-related lives. They use the Internet to communicate with their relatives and friends living far away, and use the Internet to research documents for work and school. This increased use of the Internet means that the Internet experience for the everyday consumer has lots its novelty as a way of shopping or finding out about new products or offers. More often than before, consumers delete emailed mass advertisements and consumers see pop-up advertisements, or advertisements disguised as information as an annoyance rather than as a source of real data.

Consumers, as a result of intrusive marketing surveys and techniques are also more likely to feel 'used' by marketers than ever before. While it is convenient to use the Internet, to research various prices for the same item, or to have a difficult-to-find item shipped to their home, consumers must pass through a variety of mandatory questions that force the consumer to refuse various promotions, newsletters on unrelated topics, or subject the consumer to long and intrusive questionnaires about their product choice. These methods of soliciting data about the consumer often make the consumer feel like a source of free marketing by a major corporate site, even when they are paying for a product. Such time-delaying hurdles to making a purchase can sour a consumer about using the web.

The existence of unusual online auctions such as eBay also means that it is more difficult for the major companies to provide novel products, promotions, prices, and offers for consumers through the Internet, as so many independent persons are doing so through their own websites. Thus, increased competition also makes the average Internet consumer more jaded.

This does not mean that it is impossible to reach the modern Internet consumer, from a marketing perspective, merely that one must be innovative, and not simply resort to old formulas of five years ago. Also, consumers appreciate being treated with the same respect and courtesy that they would receive at a brick and mortar store -- respect for their time and their intelligence