Ads that don't provide what's promised

From: Terry Brainerd Chadwick <tbchad_at_tbchad.com>
Date: Mon 29 Jan 2001 15:46:22 -0500

I believe in supporting Online Ad's sponsors, but I
have tried on two different evenings (1/22 and 1/23)
to get the report listed below and failed. One
evening I used Netscape 4.8 and the next evening used
IE 5.5 on a DSL line. I filled out all of the private
information required and tried to submit, only to get
Microsoft server errors. Retrying didn't work.

Online Ads' Sponsor:
> Get the free guide "The 10 Reports Every eMarketer Lives For"
> What content are your visitors really accessing? How can you convert
> more visitors to customers? Discover the 10 critical web metrics
> other eMarketers monitor in this free guide sponsored by WebTrends.
> Click here: http://www.webtrends.com/redirect/onlineaddigest-10r.htm

Online ads that promise to provide the user with a
tangible item -- especially those that require filling
out forms with private information with no privacy
policy that says how the data will be used -- that then
don't deliver what is promised are not a good way to
gain customers.

I am an Internet professional and have a high regard
for WebTrends, Tenagra, and Online Ads. This failed ad
promise won't affect my decision to use Web Trends
products or Online Ads advertising. But what about the
"average" user? I'm using this personal anecdote to
raise a larger issue in the online advertising arena.
This isn't the first time this has happened to me.
Many times I've tried to follow links only to be unable
to read the ad or reach the "promised" item -- browser
incompatibility, slow loading, don't have plugins,
forms that don't work, etc.

Who is responsible for making sure that the people who
click on the banners or text links get where and what
they expect? Has this same problem happened to so
many people, so often, that this is a significant
reason for the decline in clickthroughs?

As this is a real problem occurring for an ad placed in
this discussion group for online advertising
professionals -- an ad, ironically, for a report that
says it will tell me how to convert more visitors to
customers -- does anyone here have some thoughts and
solutions?

Terry

Terry Brainerd Chadwick InfoQuest!
Information Services Phone: 1.503.228.4023
mailto:tbchad@tbchad.com http://www.tbchad.com
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Received on Mon Jan 29 2001 - 14:46:22 CST