Web users feel inundated by internet marketing content

Consumers feel overwhelmed by the vast amount of data available on the internet, a new survey by Yahoo has found.

The firm conducted a poll of UK internet users and found that four fifths feel overburdened by online content.

Most respondents said they consciously filter out content that is of no interest to them, while nearly eight in ten said they prefer marketing messages that offer them something in exchange for their time.

Yahoo recommended that online marketing agencies should ensure that their campaigns are highly targeted and relevant to time-poor consumers and refine their output in order to avoid overloading consumers with more information than they want or need.

“Successful marketers will develop innovative strategies to help people filter their already overstretched attention,” said Kristof Fahy of Yahoo Europe.

According to Matthew Finch, a member of the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Email Council, email marketing gives firms the ability to “send targeted communications at a highly cost effective rate and [to] actually measure the results”.