Online marketing has a plethora of strengths; the speed of accessing the information is very fast and extremely cost effective, besides that internet has no geographical boundaries. In addition to cost effectiveness, the marketer likewise has the opportunity to research new suppliers at a fraction of previous search costs. In other words all the marketing research conducted through internet is very cost effective (Gay et al. 2007, 129). On the other hand Gay et al. (2007) are quick to point out some major weakness that online marketing face. The first problem is that cultural and language differences may present difficulties in information gathering across national boundaries. Secondly, it can be difficult to guarantee that the person responding is the person the marketer thinks they are (Gay et al. 2007, 129).
Even though they are becoming popular and effective marketing tools, Social network sites can pose a threat as well as an opportunity to companies as they can rapidly spread the views of dissatisfied customer’s comments. Social networks and the Web offer small and large companies new and unique opportunities to engage with their customer and learn about customer’s needs in real time like never before. Evidence presented suggests that the peer group online social network effect can potentially influence purchase decisions because of its viral nature. Social media alone cannot be effective without augmenting it with other traditional media channels like radio,