Negative Effects of Advertising Techniques in Electronic Commerce

Abstract

Companies who engage in online commerce find themselves dwelling at the intersection of the real and the virtual, and facing a task that is more complex than delivering an attractive Web site (Mitra, 2003). Practitioners and scholars have paid attention to techniques used in site and product promotion, which include the overall structure of the online retailing interface and individual features like banners, animation, sound, video, interstitials, and pop-up ads (Rodgers & Thorson, 2000; Westland & Au, 1998). Banner size, image maps, audio, and Web site interactivity have been found to enhance site appeal (Coyle & Thorson, 2001; Li & Bukovac, 1999;). Banner ads effectiveness was also found to be affected by incentive offerings contained in the ads, as well as the emotional appeal imbedded in the ad (Xie, Donthu, Lohtia, & Osmonbekow, 2004). Nonetheless, the use of such promotional techniques also comes with its negative effects that could influence consumers’ perceptions of and attitude toward a site.