Friday, February 27, 2015

Advertising

Internet advertising, those annoying ads we see when we look at websites, they mystify me.  Based on a search I've done, they try to show me options that I no longer need.  For example;

Last week I was looking at guitars.  A grandson needed a student guitar, and like all good grandfathers I was searching around, trying to educate myself on the subject.  I readily admit that I know nothing about guitars, but I was trying to learn.  I finally took the young'un to a guitar shop and talked with the owner of the shop.  Found three or four guitars that met my budget and the grandson's needs and told the boy to pick what he liked.  He's got his guitar and all is well.

Like rifle scopes.  Occasionally I'll buy a scope and recently I ordered one.  I probably won't buy another one for the remainder of the year, but I'll be looking at rifle scopes in ad space that is attached to webpages I frequent.  It's wasted advertising.  Even if it costs the merchant pennies, I've bought my scope (and my guitar).  It makes no sense to keep showing me scopes and guitars.  I'm done with those purchases, but I'll continue to see those ads.  Too bad for them.

They taught me in business school that half of all advertising dollars were wasted.  Showing me ads after I've completed the purchase is total waste.

4 comments:

Eaton Rapids Joe said...

The ads that pop up on my computer are for Russian "ladies". For the record, I am NOT looking for a lady.

I wonder what Mrs ERJ thinks of all that but I am not quite brave enough to ask.

Ryan said...

I get those too. While not a tech guy I think it is a cookies/ tracking thing. You searched/ looked at X. X will pop up in adds for awhile.

I think a better approach for them would be to take that second step and show you guitar instruction books or guitar cases. Then again I have no idea how to write a code to do that.

Ed Jones said...

They pay good money to google to keep track of you and your browsing habits. Mine are golf club or midway adds

Old NFO said...

Yep, a day late and pennies wasted...