demographics regarding readers, but lacks the dynamic appeal of television. Direct mail offers the most specific target marketing possibilities, since the advertisers can determine exactly who does (and does not) receive the promotional material, but so-called "junk mail" is often ignored by consumers.
The Internet offers new challenges to marketers both in determining who is visiting what site, and in how best to advertise to visitors at a particular site. Gauging the effectiveness of an ad on the Internet can also be difficult, and privacy issues raise even more questions about marketing effectiveness. Still, some strategies have emerged which offer electronic marketers aids in using this new medium.
"Portal" Sites v. "Destination" Sites
When the Web began emerging as a commercially viable medium, most sites which appeared were "destination" sites in that visitors actively sought out these sites. Company sites and government sites offered information on a wide variety of topics, and visitors were encouraged to "bookmark" the sites so that the often-complicated Web addresses would not have to be memorized. As the Web continued to gain new users, several companies began developing "portal" sites. These sites offer extensive Web searching capabilities, and even offer direct links to sites for users with specific interests. America OnLine (AOL), Yahoo! and AltaVista are three commonly used portal sites. The goal of these portals is to draw visitors who consider the site the "jumping off" point for their Web activities, and who view the various ads on those sites (creating revenue for the portal companies).
Parents.com, developed by the company which publishes McCall's and Family magazines, offers articles, research, tips and information about
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