“If the only constant is change, a close second is a resistance to that change” – Tom Fishburne
While the entire world has adapted to the digital way of life post-pandemic, no wonder business strategy also took to e-way. Do you think starting and investing in digital marketing will fetch you the desired result? Do you really believe that a click of a button will win over your customer for life? Is it safe to bet your hard-earned money on something which you can’t see or touch and feel? How about connectivity in remote geographies or even updating knowledge in this fast-changing world?
Let’s delve deep into the reasons why there is resistance to adopting digital technology by customers, marketers, and entrepreneurs.
Why Digital Marketing?
The future of marketing is undoubtedly internet marketing. As the number of internet users is increasing globally, it is natural to think that online marketing is taking the major chunk of market share.
Are you Digital Marketing Ready? Really?
When the entire world has gone online during the pandemic, it is obviously a natural choice for any business facility to switch to online marketing. But there are many reasons which may leave you thinking if digital marketing is really the right choice. There are many potholes on this road to the future. Online marketing is the “IT” thing while deciding any marketing strategy. But online marketing comes with its own limitations, these drawbacks can make any prudent marketer think over twice before taking the plunge. Let’s discuss in detail some of the critical limitations of internet marketing that marketers need to overcome. These factors have kept conventional marketing preferable and in demand.
Cost of transition:
Often while looking at the advantages of digital marketing you may overlook the cost involved in going digital. Digital branding and Digital advertising come with a price. The digital advertising tool that companies make use of are very pricey. Every software being used comes with costly monthly and annual subscription models to be borne by the company itself. Some of the expenses include the cost of hardware, software, online content, website designing, and product distribution costs, maintenance of the site as well as server, web hosting of the website, and above all time. Before you plan to have an internet marketing budget and strategies, keep all these factors in mind.
Also, not every company can afford an in-house marketing team. So these companies seek the help of outside marketing agencies that charge very hefty to manages online company pages at an agreed cost and give tips for growth.
Some establishments also choose to take the help of experts as freelancers or consultants demanding a high price for their expertise.
If at all any company choose to grow their internal expertise of teams, they need to fund the training of its people like digital marketing online courses. And so on.. This often comes with an excruciating cost.
Trust:
Physical proximity and one on one interaction often reinforce deep bonds among customers. Online marketing lacks this one on one customer interaction. Especially for niche customers who are exclusively looking for unique articles like luxury goods, it’s very difficult to win over the confidence of the customer online. Trust cannot be purchased. It only builds with time. Expensive commodities like cars, can not be purchased online. Getting information on the website is not enough to convince the customer to buy. The purchase decision can only be made after face-to-face interaction between buyer and seller.
Security:
Although the internet is perceived as a safe tool while considering any payment options still the safety of the internet becomes a question. Cases of cybercrime and internet fraud are on rise.
Connectivity:
Good internet connectivity is the lifeline of digital marketing. Unfortunately, in developing countries, uninterrupted access to the internet is a luxury. As 24*7 net connectivity is a challenge small business, retailers prefer to stick to traditional methods of marketing.
Internet literacy:
Especially in underdeveloped nations, where people are uneducated and there is lack of infrastructure like laptop, internet education becomes a challenge. Not everybody is tech-savvy. Internet literacy is important for the success of any digital marketing campaign.
Cutting edge:
As digital world changes at every moment. Continuous update of information is a must for the success of digital marketing efforts. This becomes difficult to execute sometimes.
Research Accuracy:
The results of digital marketing are not 100% accurate. The accuracy of results depends on factors like:
- Cultural differences
- Regional and regulatory limitations
- Market share varies
- Offline transactions are not considered
It is important to note that the findings of the research are approximate and indicative. This greatly affects the desired outcome.
Local Audience Reach:
Millennials all around the world are obsessed with the virtual world, still local audiences depend on traditional marketing like daily newspapers, television, or getting mail. Traditional marketing is tried, tested, and true. Ads, banners, can be reused and installed for the longest period of time if they are physical. Digital ads are very temporary and can be repurposed.
Time Factor:
Implementation of digital marketing comes with a price. It is a very time-consuming process. Here you have to post frequently and interact with people before you start to see some tangible results. If you don’t engage with your subscribers regularly then they may unsubscribe you and you will yield less ROI.
For a successful marketing strategy to work I suggest you should do your audience research. Try to find a balance between various techniques of digital marketing and traditional marketing depending on your customer’s needs, wants, and pain points.
Now the choice is between either traditional marketing “or” online marketing AND traditional marketing “with” online marketing. A time may come when businesses will soon start to follow a golden mean between traditional and digital marketing methods to cater to the need of all types of audiences. I wouldn’t be surprised.
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