Who hasn't experienced this before? After an innocent search for a product on the Internet, we are viciously followed by advertisements directly related to the item in question on the Internet for weeks (even after having already purchased it). Intrusive online advertising often turns into a kind of boomerang that backfires on advertisers (from whom consumers end up fleeing like the plague).
According to a recent study by parcelLab and YouGov, the majority of Internet users have experienced negative online advertising first-hand . Only a third of Internet users say they have never been confronted with inappropriate advertisements on the Internet.
At the other extreme, 25% of Internet users complain about seeing banners on the Internet for products they have already purchased. 10% of users also feel that they are being targeted by advertisements that are actually directed at the opposite sex or at target groups for whom they have previously purchased a gift online. And that's not all. 11% of Internet users continue to see advertisements for products they have already returned (even after having notified the company in question).
Women (63%) are generally more bothered by advertising that is not tailored to their interests than men (59%). Users aged 18 to 24 (78%) are more sensitive to advertising than consumers aged over 55 (52%).
While most Internet users simply suffer in silence the blunders committed in the name of online advertising, a good number of users take the trouble to take action. In fact, one in five Internet users has already blocked advertising from certain brands . And 14% of consumers have become so inconvenienced that they no longer buy products and services from brands that harass them with online advertising.
5% of Internet users have expressed their complaints norway number data to brands via social networks and 9% have contacted the customer service department of the corresponding company to report cases of clearly intrusive online advertising.
To help advertisers connect more effectively with their customers through online advertising, ParcelLab recommends focusing on certain emotional moments in the purchasing process . Consumers are particularly open to advertising immediately after receiving an order at home. On the contrary, they develop more negative feelings when returning products they have previously purchased . 45% of Internet users admit that returns are by far the most annoying part of online shopping. After all, when consumers return a product, they often do so because it did not satisfactorily meet their expectations.
“Customer loyalty is not achieved by chasing the buyer online through targeting,” emphasizes Anton Eder, co-founder of parcelLab. “It is much better to accompany the customer on the customer journey , identify the most emotional moments in the purchasing process and surprise them again and again with sufficiently excellent experiences,” he adds.
The major digital platforms are no strangers to the harassment and destruction that Internet users are subjected to by online advertising , and that is why they are putting obstacles in the way of excessive tracking (also with the aim of better protecting Internet users' privacy). Google plans, for example, to turn its back on third-party cookies in the Chrome browser, and on Android and Apple mobile devices, users can completely bypass tracking if they so wish .