One of the promises of running an online business is that the overhead would be low.  In particular, the online environment means that one of the greatest expenses in traditional business, advertising and marketing, would be minimized.  Online advertising and email marketing can be done for a fraction of the cost of advertising in print and other media.  But does it work?  Research continues to show that it does—now more than ever.

This recent report from Harris Polls is oddly titled.  It makes it sound like a surprisingly large—even a majority—of people look to print media first when they’re hunting for bargains.  What I see, instead, is the surprising growth in the number of people who are looking online first to find bargains.

The poll asked adults in the U.S. from various age groups which medium they go to first when looking for bargains: print, online, direct mail/catalogs, television, radio, or no preference.

Although there was no great dramatic difference among the respondents, those aged 45 and above showed a preference for print media, while those younger showed a preference for online ads.  The other three media came in below among all age groups.

That’s good news for you as a small online business, since the demographics who look for bargains online are also the people who typically have the most disposable income.

With a cheap hosting plan and a low cost autoresponder in place, you can take this trend one step further by delivering coupon codes and sales promotions right to the inboxes of your target markets.  Plus, you can keep track of who opens your emails and takes advantage of your specials, separate them out as a group, and develop relationships with  them as your best customers.  You can’t do that with print ads!

What may be the real revelation of this poll is that, in all demographics, “no preference” got the highest number of responses.  In other words, a sizeable number of people from every group are just as likely to look online for great bargains as anywhere else.

It is curious that the poll doesn’t ask respondents specifically about email marketing.  But the argument could be made that email marketing combines the advantages of direct mail marketing and online marketing.  If you combine those numbers from the poll, the preference for this kind of advertising over print advertising is even greater.

Of course, your situation may be different.  For example, if your online store is an extension of your brick-and-mortar operation, there could clearly be something to be gained from advertising in the local papers.  This would be particularly effective if your business catered to consumers from the demographics who state a preference for print ads.

If your print ad includes a coupon for the customer to redeem, that can help you judge the efficacy of the print campaign, but not with the same ease and in the same detail as you can with email marketing.  Following up with those who took advantage of your print coupon to develop a lasting customer relationship with them would also be somewhat challenging.

You can, on the other hand, easily and cheaply build website software that maximizes your email marketing and online advertizing efforts by promoting your products and offering specials to the customers most likely to be interested in them.

  • Share/Bookmark