Online Marketing: Benefits and Difficulties to online Business Sellers

Some of the benefits an online business has is that it is low-cost but effective to draw clients 24/7. Online marketing includes the use of digital and virtual environments to advertise and offer products and services. This study described the benefits and difficulties encountered of online business sellers using online marketing. It also determined the relationship of online business profile and the benefits and difficulties encountered in online marketing. Further, it determined the significant differences in benefits and difficulties encountered in online marketing of online business sellers. This paper used descriptive method. A total of 57 online business sellers (31 product-based, 17 service-based, and 9 combinations of both) were surveyed using a likert-scale response questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed through statistical tools such as mean, weighted mean, t-test, correlation and analysis of variance test. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concluded that online marketing has its benefits and difficulties to the online business sellers. Its benefits are they do not need to setup online stores since social media can serve as their platform in marketing, can easily reach customers using internet access, and they can have two-way conversation at their own pace. Its However, its difficulties are some customers still prefer to see and check personally the products or services and they are also hesitant in terms of paying transactions. Moreover, business profile (years in the business, monthly net income, and training in online marketing) is not related to the benefits and difficulties encountered by the online business sellers. Likewise, training in online marketing and types of online business (product based, service based, and product and service based) do not affect the benefits and difficulties encountered. Thus, it is recommended that a person who wants to have an online business and will use online marketing should have good business decision skills to become prepared to encounter the benefits and difficulties. He or she must know that customers sometimes prefer online or physical stores of products and services depending on their accessibility, transparency, and customer relationship of the owner. In addition, those who will put up online business and will use online marketing must understand the behaviors of the consumers.