According to Webwindows, a leading media agency in the UK, an ideal advertising strategy should combine the best of offline and online media to derive maximum returns. Both mediums can not function in isolation and Webwindows rightly suggests that small and medium sized businesses should not target just one medium but harness the power of both for better e-commerce results.



Given the fact that online sales are on the rise thanks to the comfort level and the easy convenience to shop any time of the day and night, online companies should spread out their advertising spend across the online media and print media to drive traffic to their websites. Webwindows feels that though small and medium sized online retailers can opt for PPC campaigns to increase traffic to their websites they should also take into consideration the other option of placing classified advertisements in the newspapers and magazines that have a wide circulation. For example, online companies can place their classified advertisements on the Webwindows page that appears in the weekend supplement of seven leading newspapers in the UK.

The Webwindows page is browsed by a dedicated group of consumers who are actually looking for bargains or products and services to purchase online. So online companies simply need to place a well drafted classified advertisement in the Webwindows page, clearly mentioning the URL of their websites so that the consumers can log on to the website and make their purchases. Here it is also important to point out why online retailers should advertise on dedicated pages such as the Webwindows page that appears in the leading newspapers in the UK. The Webwindows page, over the last ten years, has built up a formidable reputation and readers know that this is where they can find advertisements for the best online bargains. Also the Webwindows page appears on weekends when people have enough time to browse through the advertisements at their own leisure.

Now suppose instead of advertising in the print media such as the Webwindows page, online companies focus their advertising spend on purchasing advertising slots on radio and TV. The disadvantage in this case is that their target consumers may not have their TV or radio on when the advertisement is being aired. Based on experience, Webwindows recommends that it makes more sense for small and medium-sized businesses to advertise in the newspapers and magazines because not only is it cheaper but it gives the time factor advantage to the consumers in that they can browse through the newspapers any time they want.

According to Webwindows, there are online companies who prefer to focus their advertising spend on PPC campaigns and other online strategies. The disadvantage, according to Webwindows, is that online companies would have to pay even for those clicks that do not convert into sales. So when companies do a comparative cost and sales analysis of online and offline media advertising, they may find that offline advertising scores over online advertising. This is not to say that online advertising does not work at all. Webwindows suggests that online companies should do a careful analysis of both the mediums and then decide on channelizing their advertising spend.