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Hello again Arthur,
You bring up a valid point using a dump bin in a supermarket. Let move away from the supermarket and let's go to Sak's Fifth Ave. Different store and items and most importantly, a different shopper.
If a product, a woman's blouse, wasn't moving too well they would discount it and place it on a rack with other discounted blouses.
What i'll summarize here is is knowing your customers and how they react to certain advertising. A supermarket you would expect to find more frugal shoppers buying the daily needs; foods, detergents, daily hygenic supplies. Thinga that are regularly consumed. Sak's is high dollar and a purchase that will last a while. Nothing frugal here.
So, shopping habits to the item need to be considered. On the internet we don't have a luxery of out items sitting anywhere in front of millions. The internet is a 'one page at a time' portal and people that do want to shop use search engines that catagorize so when asked do I want to sit next to my competition you really don't have that choice. The search engines list all that are selling apples and you hope that you have done a proper job with your ad placements; in the right catagories. That will get you listed and in front of the person doing the search.
Sure, you can place apples anyplace you want and really, the only person you may sell to outside of the catagory is the one that buys on impulse. On the internet the odds are so high you would be better buying a lottery ticket and winning at least $10.00.
And perception is another thing we need to be aware of. Say a forum is on the topic of heart conditions due to cholesterol and you drop in and say (with your apples) An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away. I have Golden Delicious on Sale Now. That would be crossing the line. You added nothing to the topic of heart condition or Cholesterol. An outsider reading this would see the topic wasn't smooth reading and would consider it an insult for someone to try and push a sale in this discussion. So the perception comes across as you only care about selling your apples and not there to help.
When the focus is on the seller and not the consumer, the consumer will shut the door on you every time. We've seen it many times portayed in movies, the door-to-door salesman. When the door opens what's the first thing he does before opening his mouth? He slides a foot inside the threshold to stop the door from being closed in his face. The internet doesn't have that door and marketers are getting really rude and pushy about here it is and you are going to like it.
But, who wins the customer is the one that is always helpful, courteous, and not pushy.
Again, these are just my views.
Kenneth
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